National media react to 'wretched' Liverpool defeat at Man City - 'Why is anybody surprised'

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.

How the national media reacted to Liverpool's 3-0 defeat at Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoonHere we go again. And while the ECHO was in attendance and provided our usual level of coverage, here's how the national media viewed a negative result for Arne Slot's side.READ MORE: Pep Guardiola explains what Man City did to Mohamed Salah and what Pep Lijnders told himIan Ladyman of the Daily Mail points to the number of new signings Liverpool were compelled to make in the summer, an unusual situation for any title winners."So there is the heart of the problem," he scribes.

"Liverpool have lost good players and have not yet been able to replace what they took with them when they went. Liverpool have bought well and the age profile of Slot’s squad is okay.

"But it is surely the end of Liverpool’s defence. Florian Wirtz played well."But if Arne Slot is struggling to find effective patterns, the poverty of his team only served to demonstrate how peerlessly good Guardiola is at this; just as Doku’s development is a perfect example of what Guardiola loves, that wild hunger for building teams and working at players."Finally, the tall man Paul Gorst of the ECHO believes Liverpool are not putting up much of a defence of their title."Arsenal's Sunderland stumble on Saturday night offered these two heavyweights the chance to make ground on the early pace-setters but Slot's side now trail Mikel Arteta's by men eight points," he says."It is looking increasingly like a two-horse race, even before the Christmas decorations have been fetched from the garages on Merseyside.