Liverpool’s struggles show that Trent Alexander-Arnold is not easily replaced

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But context matters, and the truth is that while Liverpool won their first five league games of the season, they did not play well in them.New players are struggling to settle and Arne Slot’s rejig of the formation has not really worked, while a number of regulars look out of sorts. There’s been an unexpected wildness to them, almost as though Slot is going through his transition a season late.Introducing any new player to a side is fraught with potential issues.

But in recent games, Slot has returned to last season’s trio, switching back to 4-3-3, and many of the same problems have remained. Liverpool’s centre-backs keep being isolated, a situation exacerbated by Ibrahima Konaté’s loss of form.So what has changed?

He is arguably the best passer of a ball currently playing for England, which is what led many to argue that he was wasted at full-back, and that he should be used in midfield. But for now, Liverpool are missing both the balance Alexander-Arnold brought and his capacity to unleash Salah, who has had a very quiet start to the season and is yet to forge a relationship with any of the new forwards.Any side making as many changes as Liverpool will inevitably have teething problems, but what is notable at the moment is that the issue is less the players who are there than one who has left.