Jurgen Klopp‘s side are in a great position in the league table – above Manchester City and just two points behind league leaders Arsenal. However, they haven’t been convincing at the back, and Nicol believes Alexander-Arnold and Tsimi
Questions about Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s defending have been around for a long time now, and Steve Nicol has brought his Liverpool teammate Kostas Tsimikas into the discussion now.
Jurgen Klopp’s side deserve a lot of praise for where they are in the table – second after just one loss in 14 games in the Premier League.
However, following their 4-3 win over Fulham at Anfield on Sunday in what was a crazy game, everyone is talking about the Reds’ defence.
Conceding three goals at home is never ideal, especially against a club like Fulham, who had only scored 13 goals in as many games in the Premier League this season before Sunday.
When Nicol was asked if he agrees with Craig Burley’s assessment that Liverpool are not good enough at the back, he said on ESPN FC: “I do agree because right now, Alexander-Arnold and Tsimikas are not good defenders.
If you’ve got half of your back four who are not good defenders, it shouldn’t really be a surprise that you’re giving up chances and goals.”
Liverpool have only conceded 14 goals in the Premier League this season, which means they have the second-best defensive record in the division.
However, that number is slightly misleading.
Liverpool have been conceding way too many chances. Lack of a proper defensive midfielder has made it easy for teams to penetrate, resulting in opportunities for them to score.
If Liverpool can get themselves a top-quality number six in January, we’re sure they will be much harder to score against, even with Alexander-Arnold and Tsimikas’ weaknesses.
