Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard, has offered insight into the reasons behind the Reds’ struggles this season following their match against Brighton & Hove Albion.
The current Premier League champions faced their tenth defeat of the season, losing 2-1 to the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium.
Gerrard stated to TNT Sports that the primary issue for Arne Slot’s team in the Premier League this season is a lack of squad depth.
He emphasized that the coach is compelled to field a team that lacks energy on weekends after their mid-week efforts.
“We have observed this several times this season where they exert a great deal of effort and perform admirably on the Champions League stage.
“The emotion, energy, and intensity required to succeed or secure a result in those matches significantly impact their performance on weekends.
“They do not possess the options within the squad or on the bench to make sufficient changes that would inject energy or quality into the team to match their midweek performance levels.
“He had to rely on many of the same players today, making only a few forced changes. However, the manager prefers to maintain consistency rather than make changes to energy, which ultimately backfired today,” he remarked (via Mirror).
Gerrard’s remarks follow Liverpool’s impressive 4-0 victory over Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League mid-week, which was contrasted by a disappointing performance against Brighton.
The Premier League champions have now recorded their tenth league defeat, with their domestic performance starkly contrasting their European form, where they have advanced to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.
Liverpool currently sits in fifth place in the Premier League and is poised to contend for UEFA Champions League qualification for the next season.
Injuries have plagued the team this season, with Hugo Ekitike now joining the ranks of Mohamed Salah, Alisson, Alexander Isak, and Conor Bradley on the injury list.