After missing out on Champions League soccer, Liverpool enter the new season with new faces in midfield and the same defensive questions that they ended their 2022-23 campaign with. It's hard to consistently compete for a Premier League title but a mix of injuries and defensive ineffectiveness put Liverpool into a hole that no amount of goals could dig them out of. By the end of the season, Jurgen Klopp did find a balance with Cody Gakpo in the lineup and Trent Alexander-Arnold in an inverted fullback role to provide more service to Mohamed Salah, but it ended up being a case of too little too late.
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Now, with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in Saudi Arabia, Liverpool have replaced them with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, changing the complexion of the midfield. With Gakpo also dropping into midfield at times depending on who is in the attacking three, this gives Klopp a unit without a true defensive-minded player as Alexander-Arnold will play that role in a similar way to how John Stones improved Manchester City's defense. Which leads to question one facing the Reds -- can Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate stay healthy and effective enough to keep Liverpool from leaking goals?
Van Dijk was still dominant in the air winning 3.12 aerial duels per 90 minutes played last season but when it came to tackling an oncoming player, he struggled, only winning 0.86 tackles per 90. A player who is usually among the best at his position, van Dijk took a step back last season, and Liverpool will need him to rebound to his best if the team will return to being Premier League title contenders. Konate was effective when on the pitch but availability has been his issue with the defender being unavailable for five matches last season. Generally, this wouldn't be an issue but hamstring issues have also slowed down Joel Matip while matches pile up for the Reds once the full swing of the season is underway.
It felt like a given that Liverpool would add a center back this summer and while the transfer window hasn't slammed shut yet, it feels improbable that more reinforcements will come before the end of August. Klopp does have the option of using Stefen Bajcetic at center back but he's also the only true defensive midfielder which is why players will have to play multiple roles for the Reds this season.
The first XI is still excellent but after the front six, depth is lacking at Liverpool. On the bright side, that front six led by Salah will keep them in most games because teams will have to score several goals before they can consider a game versus Liverpool to be over. The best defense is also the team's press which, once Darwin Nunez got fully integrated, did improve near the end of the season and will only get better with a fully healthy Luis Diaz this season.
But even if everything goes perfectly for Liverpool it feels like their ceiling is a third-place finish in the league. In the past, comparing squads between Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United, the Reds would clearly come out on top and that isn't the case anymore. Losing Roberto Firmino may have been the right thing to do financially but even that is a move that hurts Liverpool's depth as few forwards have similar ball skills to him even if they're only playing 30 minutes a match.
Those type of luxury players are critical to title-winning teams and they used to be players who Liverpool had in spades. From Divock Origi scoring improbably winners to James Milner coming on to play any position to close out a game, who will do that for Liverpool this season? Young players like Bajcetic and Harvey Elliott are poised to take a step forward this season but it still feels like Liverpool are missing strength in depth.
In a way, this is a byproduct of Salah's contract extension which does hamper spending but other clubs at the top of the Premier League are able to hand out contracts like his while still competing financially with the biggest clubs in the world. It may involve flirting with Financial Fair Play but the prize of a European trophy is more than worth it. Just scoring goals won't be enough as Liverpool scored the third most goals in the league last season but only finished with the fourth-best goal difference due to having a middle-of-the-pack defense. Losses at inopportune times came back to bite them by the end of the season when they remembered who they were but when the season kicks off against Chelsea on Aug. 13, the Reds will have to be on the front foot from day one to avoid another season of digging themselves out of holes.
Liverpool Premier League predictions
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League finish | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 5th | 2nd | 4th | 2nd |
| Player of the Season | Trent Alexander-Arnold | Alexis Mac Allister | Alexis Mac Allister | Mohamed Salah | Alexis Mac Allister | Mohamed Salah | Darwin Nunez |
| Top scorer | Mohamed Salah, 21 goals | Darwin Nunez, 21 goals | Darwin Nunez, 20 goals | Mohamed Salah, 22 goals | Darwin Nunez, 19 goals | Mohamed Salah, 19 goals | Darwin Nunez, 25 goals |
