Liverpool rescue act cannot hide dismal truth as two Alexander Isak questions emerge
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.
They actually closed the gap on third-place Chelsea here, who lost 3-1 to Saturday's hosts Leeds United. That trip to Elland Road suddenly looks more daunting than ever.For now, Slot's champions remain just two points outside the top four and one off Crystal Palace in fifth and while that might be enough to hearten those who feel that the great change in fortunes is near, their struggles to piece together anything resembling a complete performance, nearly four months in, is dismal.Once more, a Liverpool game ended with the sight and sound of them chasing a late goal and while they had the rub of the green in the early weeks - against Bournemouth, Newcastle, Arsenal and Burnley - luck has deserted them on that front long ago.There was to be no euphoric winner here and had it not been for an alert Federico Chiesa, who cleared off the line in the closing stages, substitute Wilson Isidor would have won it courtesy of an assist from goalkeeper Robin Roefs.A first half that would have been a struggle for those stitching together the highlight reels saw the Reds huff and puff to little avail.
They lacked the creative spark and what has become a real, consistent issue under Slot's tutelage is that the striker - Alexander Isak on this occasion - was once more a spare part, unable to get into the game and left to feed on scraps.The £125m striker, who was making back-to-back Premier League starts here, was forced to drift out wide in an attempt to see more of the ball and the fact he completed just one pass in the first period said it all.Liverpool have broken the bank to land a dyed-in-the-wool No.9 but are still figuring out how to make best use of his unquestionable talents. It's an interesting debate to be had.
Either way, he struggled to build on his first Premier League goal for his new club at West Ham at the weekend.It was Florian Wirtz who came closest to the breakthrough when his effort was saved by Roefs before the rebound hit the No.7's knee and brushed the side netting. Some in the Kop thought it was in.Alexis Mac Allister's header kissed the outside of the post but it was too passive in from a Reds side who so often either fail or choose not to seize the initiative in a manner that Anfield so often demands on these sorts of evenings.With confidence still brittle from a chastening two months that has led to almost everything being questioned, perhaps there was some wisdom in a concerted effort to keep it tight and grow into proceedings but this was a tough watch for those who had braved the early December cold.The restart saw the Reds serve up more of the same, despite the arrival of Mohamed Salah for Cody Gakpo, and, as has become customary, they fell behind, conceding the first goal for the 11th time since late September.There was a portion of misfortune attached to the strike from Chemsdine Talbi as it deflected off Virgil van Dijk before nestling past Alisson Becker but the longer the game went on, the more emboldened Regis Le Bris's side were going to feel, particularly given they had already taken four points from games with Arsenal and Chelsea.Liverpool responded through Wirtz, who provided the most telling contribution of his fledgling career on Merseyside to date by dancing through the area before finding the net.The kill-joys of the Premier League officially put the left-footed strike down as an own goal by Nordi Mukiele but this was Wirtz's effort in all but name.