Liverpool: Is the powder still unwashed before making the paste?

11/11/2025 07:57:00 ChampionChatter

The 0-3 loss to Man City not only struck a severe blow to Liverpool’s hopes of retaining the title but also raised the question: Where has the more than £400 million spent on new signings this summer actually gone?

Building a squad after last season’s Premier League victory has never been simple, and Klopp had valid reasons to strengthen the team. However, everyone is questioning what role these new signings played in the match against Man City, a leading candidate for the Premier League title.

Liverpool’s new signings: numerous but not yet polished

Among the seven new players brought in this summer, only Wirtz, Ekitike, and goalkeeper Mamardashvili started at Etihad on Sunday night. Wirtz, a £116 million signing from Leverkusen, extended his Premier League goal drought to 11 games and was criticized by former defender Gary Neville as “like a lost boy on the pitch.” Ekitike, who has contributed 4 goals and 1 assist for Liverpool so far this season, was barely noticeable during his 56 minutes on the field, touching the ball only 11 times and failing to produce a single shot on Donnarumma’s goal. Mamardashvili performed slightly better by saving a penalty from Erling Haaland, but it wasn’t enough to help Liverpool avoid a decisive defeat.

What about the remaining four? Frimpong and Leoni were injured, rather than becoming reinforcements to Klopp’s fragile defense. Isak did not get a single minute from the Dutch coach in the crucial match, despite expectations that he would be the counter to Erling Haaland up front. Liverpool’s £125 million signing has only provided one assist in the 1-2 defeat to Chelsea but has left many disappointed and doubtful about his role as a number 9. Milos Kerkez, brought in to replace Andy Robertson at left-back, was only given substitute appearances and did not make much difference. If one were to summarize Liverpool’s summer signings after 11 Premier League rounds in two words, it would be: Disappointing. That is why Klopp could not find any difference-makers on the bench as Liverpool were dominated by Man City across many statistics, from pass counts and shots to the scoreline gap.

Liverpool struggles due to poor performances from new signings like Wirtz against Man City

Awaiting Klopp to solve the new signings puzzle

The defeat to Man City completely negated Klopp’s efforts to revive Liverpool after two wins against Aston Villa and Real Madrid. How Klopp integrates the new signings to complete this season’s squad will be crucial to Liverpool’s chances of defending their crown.

Mamardashvili will likely have limited opportunities to start in the Premier League once first-choice goalkeeper Alisson returns after the FIFA break, as the Brazilian’s quality is hard to surpass. Bradley played well against Aston Villa and Real Madrid but was powerless against Man City’s Jeremy Doku. Klopp is eagerly awaiting Frimpong’s return from his second hamstring injury this season to provide a more solid option at right-back. The opposite flank is a tougher issue, with Robertson’s performance declining due to age, while Kerkez has yet to prove himself as a first-choice option.

The biggest challenge during the two-week Premier League break for Klopp is how to build the attack with new signings Wirtz, Ekitike, and Isak. Wirtz’s performances so far suggest he is better suited to the Champions League, where he is freed from the weekly physical and fast-paced pressure of the Premier League. His only highlight this season was a double assist against Frankfurt. Klopp must decisively choose whether to continue deploying Wirtz as a left forward or return him to his natural number 10 position. Even more concerning is the choice of striker between Ekitike and Isak. Ekitike was completely absent against Man City, but being patient with Isak, who lacks stamina and has gone many games without scoring, is a double-edged sword for Klopp.

Duc Hung

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