Liverpool's Premier League title defence has started with five wins from five, but recent defeats, including a loss at Chelsea, have seen them lose top spot to Arsenal. Arne Slot's summer spending spree, which brought in Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak for British-record fees, has yet to yield the desired returns as the team go into the international break on a run of three straight defeats.
Using Liverpool ECHO's player ratings, Dominik Szoboszlai tops the list, thanks largely to his performances as a makeshift right-back, with a rating of 6.90. Alisson Becker is next, despite his recent injury, while Federico Chiesa also ranks highly on the strength of fewer appearances. Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike are the only new signings to have impressed early on.
Virgil van Dijk (6.40) shone in the win at Newcastle United and remains a defensive leader, while Andy Robertson has been relatively decent. However, concerns mount over Mohamed Salah, who has only intermittently shone despite three goals and three assists, spending too much time making negligible impact. Alexander Isak is struggling to adapt after a lack of pre-season, and Ibrahima Konate's form remains wildly inconsistent.
Milos Kerkez has been badly affected by confidence issues after trying too hard to impress, while Alexis Mac Allister is the worst performer, clearly not fully fit and often watching games pass him by. The international break offers a chance for reflection before a titanic clash with Manchester United.
