Manchester United have moved ahead of Liverpool in the race to sign 25-year-old Bournemouth and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo. (Caught Offside), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesIt has been 10 years since Jurgen Klopp joined Liverpool.
While there was hope, little did fans know the sheer amount of success the German would bring in his nine-years spell in charge.
Despite some heartbreaking final defeats and near-misses in the league along the way, Klopp left with a pretty hefty trophy haul and the adoration of fans.
With one Premier League title, one Champions League crown, an FA Cup, two EFL Cups, the Community Shield, a Uefa Super Cup and a Fifa Club World Cup, the 58-year-old is one of the most successful to have sat in the Anfield dugout.
But where does he rank among the Liverpool managerial greats?
Image source, Getty ImagesKlopp's first trophy as Liverpool manager came in 2019 when the Reds beat Tottenham 2-0 in the Champions League final in Madrid
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Liverpool boss guided his side to becoming world champions with a 1-0 win over Flamengo in the Club World Cup final in December 2019
Image source, Getty ImagesPerhaps Klopp's greatest achievement with the club came when they ended their long wait to become Premier League champions for the first time in 2020 - 30 years after their last top-flight title
Image source, Getty ImagesLiverpool returned to silverware-winning ways in 2022 when they came through 6-5 against Chelsea on penalties to secure the FA Cup - the first time under Klopp
Image source, Getty ImagesKlopp's final trophy in his silverware-laden nine years in charge came in the Carabao Cup in 2024 - his second in that competition - as they once again overcame Chelsea in a final
You can also relive Liverpool's 2019 Champions League story on BBC iPlayer
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on Liverpool's defence this season and how concerning the right-back position has become after the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Here are some of your comments:
Mick: At the start of last season, Arne Slot had Mohamed Salah tracking back, and the defence was very solid in the first few games. Salah didn't like it and suggested to Slot that if he didn't need to track back, he would supply the goals and assists. Slot agreed, and the rest is history. The difference this season is that Salah is not getting the goals.
Tim: I'm not sure why we signed Jeremie Frimpong at the moment unless it is to replace Salah at some point. Gotta stick with Conor Bradley or replace him in January. We are so out of sorts.
Andrew: Dominic Szoboszlai has done a remarkable job covering the right-back position, but we need to put players back in their natural positions. The squad was built to have two players for each position, and while there have been injuries, we learned in 2020-21 that you cannot continue with square pegs in round holes. The squad needs continuity while its new players still find their feet. That's not helped by asking players to switch from midfield to right back during the same game.
However, a lot of you believe that Bradley should be first choice for the right-back position.
Ken: From a tactical perspective, Bradley is the best option. However, he has been unable to stay fit for sustained periods. When he is fit, he has a penchant for picking up unnecessary yellow cards, putting the team and himself at jeopardy.
Richard: I believe that Slot should have Bradley and Joe Gomez as his right-back choices. Joe is a great defender and has played right back a number of times. But for some reason, Slot does not fancy him.
Rob: Bradley is the best right-back at the club, but his tendency to pick up bookings and injuries means we're short of options. Conor needs to be given some advice from Slot and a run of games. If he can stay fit, he is the answer.
Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter
Image source, Getty ImagesThree defeats in three have not quite got the alarm bells ringing at Anfield, though Liverpool clearly have a few problems.
Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah have not yet gelled as a unit. They look more like a group of ultra-talented individuals than a well-drilled team, and this must change if they are going to defend their title.
It is early days for the new signings - but the Premier League does not wait for you to be formally introduced, then get to know each other over a number of months.
During the live commentary on the BBC, I kept underlining the problem at right-back.
Jeremie Frimpong is a converted winger, not a specialist defender. Conor Bradley is a very talented attacking full-back, but Arne Slot had to sub him at the break because a second yellow card was imminent for the youngster. He needed some help but his winger, Salah, was not going to provide any by chasing back.
Dominik Szoboszlai is a wonderful midfielder - maybe Liverpool's best player this season so far - but his limitations as a full-back were cruelly exposed, both when I was there in Istanbul for the Galatasaray game midweek and in west London.
When he moved in there on Saturday, Chelsea got to his byline time and again. He was also guilty of switching off when crosses were coming in from the other wing. Specialist full-backs simply do not do that.
Szoboszlai created Liverpool's goal from that full-back area, underlining where his true strengths lie: attack. With so many brilliant specialist wingers in the league, a makeshift full-back is not going to cut it.
Unsurprisingly, the hosts' late winner came from an attack down that side.
Liverpool could not beat a Chelsea side that had their sixth and seventh-choice centre-backs playing by the end, underlining that an easy cruise to another title is very unlikely for the Reds.
What do you think?
Is Liverpool's right-back position a problem?
What would you do if you were Slot?
Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter
Image source, Getty ImagesLiverpool legend Steven Gerrard has given a glimpse into his mentality when he was first introduced to the senior squad at Anfield.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast,, external the former midfielder opened up on the mentality that drove him to break into Liverpool's first team as a teenager, revealing how he quietly set his sights on displacing some of his idols.
"The likes of [Robbie] Fowler, [Steve] McManaman and [Jamie] Redknapp were my heroes. I couldn't have had any more respect going into the Liverpool dressing room in terms of them as people and players," said Gerrard, who made his first-team debut in November 1998.
"But I had something in my own mind and in my quieter times when I used to look at them and think: 'I'm coming for all of you.' I was at this moment when it's now or never for me.
"If I want to play for Liverpool for a long period of time and have the career I wanted to have, whoever is there, every single day of training, I'm thinking no-one is getting in the way of me. I have to prove I am better than Paul Ince, Jamie Redknapp, Danny Murphy and David Thompson.
"They would have felt me competing against them in training. But I never said it to them. I don't think you have to do that - I think you have to prove it."
Image source, Getty ImagesChief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.
Sean asked: I'm really concerned about Liverpool's recent run of form. Is Salah undroppable?
Phil answered: I've seen every Liverpool game this season bar the Carabao Cup tie against Southampton and, for all the wins at the start, they have not looked right from day one.
I think bringing in so many players means it always takes time to settle, no matter how good they are, but the balance just does not look right with Florian Wirtz behind the strikers.
Liverpool have looked far more exposed, not helped by Ibrahima Konate's poor form and two new very attack-minded full-backs in Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.
Is Mohamed Salah "undroppable"? Very few players are undroppable at some point in their careers and there is no doubt he has not been himself this season. And don't forget he is 33.
World-class players very rarely decline overnight, though, and I wouldn't back against him making a big contribution to Liverpool again this season?
Will Arne Slot occasionally take him out of the team? Yes, I can see that, as he did against Galatasaray in Istanbul last week.
Alan asked: Is Florian Wirtz the biggest £100m transfer flop? Ten games, zero goals and only one assist. His Premier League stats are seven games, zero goals and zero assists.
Phil answered: It's far too early to be going there with that one, Alan. Wirtz has been disappointing so far, no doubt about that, but he has been playing in a side undergoing a very expensive transition which has not been at its best at all, despite topping the Premier League table in the early weeks.
He is getting used to the Liverpool players and they are getting used to him.
It's always a mistake to make such snap verdicts and I think Wirtz - £116m fee or not - deserves a lot more time before anyone makes any judgement, certainly the judgement that he is a flop.
It's very early days.
Wrexham centre-back Conor Coady has a little sympathy for Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate as the central defender continues to face criticism.
Coady thinks changes around the defender will be posing him a problem.
See what he has to say above and watch Chris Sutton's response below.
Sutton believes the Reds may regret not signing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.
Watch the full episode of Monday Night Club on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds
Chris Sutton discussed Liverpool's defending and Marc Guehi on Monday Night Club
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton says Liverpool boss Arne Slot is not sure of his best side at the moment and the issue is partly because of the "mishmash" at right-back.
Watch the full episode of Monday Night Club on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds
Crystal Palace plan to offer Adam Wharton a new contract to try to ward off interest from Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City in the 21-year-old England midfielder. (Mail), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
Former Manchester United and Everton forward Wayne Rooney says Liverpool's early-season performances showed "worrying signs" even before their recent dip in form, questioning the team's balance under Arne Slot and the lack of defensive contribution from Mohamed Salah.
The former England captain believes the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold has exposed tactical issues, while new signings are still adjusting to the demands of playing for a title-challenging side.
Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesLiverpool's problem this season is that they are relying on moments.
In the first five games, the moments went for the Reds, with multiple late winners leaving Liverpool top of the table.
But now, having conceded and lost in injury time in two consecutive Premier League weekends, they are on the receiving end.
Liverpool played no worse against Chelsea than they did in matches they won against Newcastle and Burnley. They just didn't get the rub of the green this time. Moises Caicedo scored from 25 yards and Mo Salah missed chances he usually scores. If the big moments were different, Liverpool would have won.
But that's the problem. There is no structure to Liverpool's play. There is no sustained pressure on the opponent. The midfield is wide open. They are not utilising the brilliant attacking options and the defence is shaky.
So if you rely on moments, sometimes they go for you and sometimes they don't. And that won't win Liverpool the Premier League.
The performances more than the result is a problem. Liverpool looked so tactically astute last season, but decided to spend £400m and tear it up and start again.
As a result, there is no cohesion. Liverpool's stalwarts are out of form and as a result the new signings are struggling to gel.
Arne Slot, so brilliant in his debut season, needs to step up and get this team playing.
Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external
Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesMohamed Salah's decline in form is a concern for Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
He played a key role in the Premier League title win last season, scoring 29 goals and assisting 18. But the Reds' 'Egyptian King' hasn't hit those heights yet this campaign, with a substantial drop-off in most key attacking metrics.
While it is only a relatively small sample of seven league games, Salah is getting only half as many touches in the opposition box as he did last season. That has led to a corresponding dip in the volume of shots he is taking, and likewise his figures for goals and expected goals.
Whether it is age catching up with the 33-year-old, or changes to Liverpool's squad upsetting the team's overall balance, Slot will have to figure out a way to get Salah back to his best.
Image source, Getty ImagesLiverpool's recent dip in form has raised plenty of talking points from tactical tweaks under Arne Slot to issues with intensity and consistency.
Later this week, BBC Sport's senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel will be answering your questions.
So send them in below - what do you want to know about Liverpool's form, team selections or title hopes?
Image source, Getty ImagesIt feels like Mohamed Salah's lack of defensive work has become a little problem for Liverpool, especially against the better teams.
I can totally understand if Arne Slot has told Salah not to track back, because waiting high up the pitch on the right for the transition has made him one of the most potent goalscorers in the world.
But the players behind him are not covering him correctly and that has caused a lot of issues for whoever has been at right-back this season.
Whether it has been Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley or Dominik Szoboszlai, they have been in trouble because they are often facing a two against one overload down their side.
It was a real weakness on Saturday and led to Chelsea's late winner - so the concern must be that more teams will be clever enough to do the same.
The other players have to be able to help out more, and quicker, because it felt like Chelsea were working the ball forwards and then shifting it out to their left as that is where the space was.
If a Liverpool midfielder went out there too late - whether it be Ryan Gravenberch or Alexis Mac Allister - then it left space in the pockets in front of their defence because they were losing a man from the middle.
All of this becomes less of a problem when you are playing teams where you can dominate the ball. We've seen it be successful before - Liverpool won the league playing this way - but they have to tighten up because the top sides will continue to exploit it.
It is not as if Salah has changed his role this season but, because he is not scoring at the other end, maybe the defensive side of his game is amplified.
Read more of Murphy's thoughts over here
Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney also "questioned the work ethic" of Salah, who he describes as "lost", on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show.
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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Chelsea and Liverpool.
Here are some of your comments:
Chelsea fans
Evan: Honestly one of the best Chelsea performances I've seen in a long time. The last 15 minutes of the game we dominated and deserved to win as we did. Estevao looks brilliant and I'm excited to see him in the future when he is in his prime.
Fossie: A superb win. A stunning performance from Moises Caicedo, and a brilliant goal. It would have been easy for our heads to drop after the equaliser, but Chelsea came back stronger for it. The winner was an excellently crafted goal. Injuries in the back line are a concern, but a bit of time for some recoveries now. Well done Chelsea.
Rod: One of the best performances for years. It proves that it is there, just got to stop the boring wasteful side-and-back passing. Keep playing like this!
Scott: Really controlled performance from Chelsea in the first half - absolute mayhem in the second due to the defensive substitutions. Excellent win and Enzo Maresca deserves credit as he went for it - more of that please.
Liverpool fans
Fraser: People were scapegoating Florian Wirtz for our performances lately - we were actually better when he came on. Wirtz and Alexander Isak are not the problem - the problem is clearly tactical/systematic. I don't think Arne Slot knows what his best starting XI is or how to best utilise them. That, combined with key veterans struggling for form, especially Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate and Alexis Mac Allister. We're too exposed at the back and we're far too slow and cautious going forward. The international break couldn't have come at a better time.
Killian: No point hiding it - that was a dreadful performance. The lads look like they don't know each other. Total faith in Slot and the team to turn it around. I genuinely believe we have an elite squad - we just need to bring it together. YNWA!
Andrew: Time to recognise Salah has passed his peak and let Federico Chiesa have his chance. Overall, too many established players underperforming at the same time and apart from Hugo Ekitike, all the other newcomers have distinctly disappointed. Time for Slot to earn his coin.
Rae: Another desperately nervous performance - Milos Kerkez not yet settled, Conor Bradley trying too hard and Konate out of form. Slot is also trying to force the likes of Wirtz and Isak into an unsuitable formation.
Image source, Getty ImagesAre Liverpool in a mini crisis after a third successive defeat? That was the question posed on the latest episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.
"The success of last season was because of Arne Slot's ability to address situations early within games to get them over the line," said former Reds keeper David James. "They were excellent at winning the second half of games and quite regularly not very good in the first.
"This season, they have been better in the first and more often than not, worse in the second half and not up to scratch.
"They have a manager who does have - or should have - the ability to recognise the problems and resolve them.
"Liverpool are one point behind Arsenal, so it is not like they have lost three games and there is all of a sudden a big gap.
"There are no questions about the quality they have brought in this summer, but the pressure is then on the manager to get the players playing like they should be.
"I didn't think they needed Alexander Isak when they bought him and now they do - the conversation has widely been that they will win the league.
"They almost have too much quality and the issue is they are teething."
Listen to the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds
Liverpool remain in contract talks with Ibrahima Konate, 26, as they aim to extend his deal and prevent losing him for free at the end of the season, with Real Madrid keen on the France centre-back. (FootballInsider), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column
Phil McNulty
Chief football writer
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The wins...
Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth (Premier League) - Federico Chiesa 88' and Mohamed Salah 90+4'
Newcastle 2-3 Liverpool (Premier League) - Rio Ngumoha 90+10'
Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal (Premier League) - Dominik Szoboszlai 83'
Burnley 0-1 Liverpool (Premier League) - Mohamed Salah (pen) 90+3'
Liverpool 3-2 Atletico Madrid (Champions League) - Virgil van Dijk 90+2'
Southampton 1-2 Liverpool (League Cup) - Hugo Ekitike 85'
The defeats...
Crystal Palace 2-1 Liverpool (Premier League) - Federico Chiesa 87' and Eddie Nketiah 90+7'
Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (Premier League) - Estevao Willian 90+5'
Late goals or otherwise, the brutal truth is that Liverpool have been a pale shadow of the side the cruised to the Premier League last season since the Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace, the tables being turned on them dramatically in the last week as the flaws that have been in evidence since that Wembley defeat have been exposed.
Liverpool have looked unbalanced after an influx of nearly £450m worth of new signings, the introduction of £116m Florian Wirtz into a role behind the strikers – whether it was £70m Hugo Ekitike or £125m Alexander Isak – leaving them more exposed through the centre.
The arrival of two new full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, with instinctive attacking tendencies has also left Liverpool more vulnerable on the counter.
Slot gave Liverpool a more familiar look at Chelsea by dropping Wirtz to restore the title-winning midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alex Mac Allister.
Liverpool were not quite as open, although Szoboszlai was moved to right-back when Conor Bradley was replaced at half-time, but for all Slot's positive messages this was another largely flat display. They still almost got a point through Cody Gakpo's equaliser after Moises Caicedo's magnificent early opener for Chelsea.
This was until Estevao intervened as the biters of early in the season were painfully bitten back.
"I thought Chelsea just wanted it a little bit more," said ex-England forward Wayne Rooney, who is a pundit on Saturday's Match of the Day. "They showed more bite and determination in how they played. It wasn't the Liverpool we've been used to watching and Chelsea definitely deserved the three points.
You can read the full analysis on Liverpool's late goals here
Pundits Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures and Friday's action.
And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
