Liverpool

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (kick-off 17:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He does not know how long goalkeeper Alisson will be sidelined for but he "would be surprised is he is there for the first game after the international break".

• He said Giorgi Mamardashvili is "a quality goalkeeper" and showed "how well he had adjusted to the club" when he replaced Alisson in the defeat by Galatasaray.

• Forwards Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa will train on Friday and then a decision will be made on whether they can be available.

• On back-to-back defeats: "I saw a team [against Galatasaray] that wanted to try from the first to the last second to get a result. We won much more second balls [compared to the Crystal Palace game] and we were close to a result. I said last season that the margins are so small, and it's the same again this season."

• Alexander Isak is "getting fitter and fitter" and Slot believes he will add goals to the team once he has built a relationship with the players around him. He added: "The more you play together, the better things will work."

• He said teams scoring from set-pieces is the "new reality in the Premier League" and they "have to find answers" to defending them as a team.

• On their drop-off in goals scored: "We don't score as many open-play goals as we did in the first half of last season. The more we play together in the new set-up, the better it will go. I'm very happy with the amount of chances we generate from set-pieces."

• He defended the criticism around centre-back Ibrahima Konate's start to the season and said: "If you are losing a game of football, then it doesn't help if you lose the ball a few times easily. He has been one of them [doing that], but not the only one. In the past two games, it has been obvious and clear that we have made a few errors that we are not used to."

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Manchester United's record goalscorer Wayne Rooney believes Arne Slot's decision to play Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back in the Champions League in midweek "backfired".

"I thought they were really poor," he told The Wayne Rooney show.

"I think a worry for me would be losing the game. It looked like, even with still quite a bit of time left to go, he [Slot] has just put every attacking player on the pitch and just said 'right go and figure it out' and then it could have got a lot worse for Liverpool during the game.

"There was a lot of times they give the ball away at the back and losing it and getting broken on. Alisson obviously getting injured comes from a mistake where they give the ball away.

"I thought they didn't look good and I think since the start of the season really. Of course the results have papered over some of the cracks which they've had and where they haven't performed well, but I think there's a concern in terms of if they don't get it together then teams can catch them up.

"What they don't want to do is give the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal a bit of momentum to believe they can go and take that title off them.

"I think when you win the league, like Arne Slot did last season with Liverpool, then sometimes some of the decisions you make get overlooked. I think the decision to play a midfield player at right back, and a right back at right wing - for instance, if that was Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, he'd get absolutely slaughtered for making that decision.

"And that shows you the difference in the Champions League. Szoboszlai played there in the league and did well. You go into the Champions League and you get found out.

"So I think that was a big decision which backfired."

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We asked for your views on Alisson Becker's hamstring injury after boss Arne Slot announced he would not be joining up with Brazil and would probably not be ready in time for the first game back after the international break.

Here are some of your comments:

Ken: Alisson is undoubtedly a world class goalkeeper but is also, unfortunately, world class at picking up muscle injuries. Liverpool is the one club where the number two goalkeeper will play more than their fair share of games. It presents an opportunity for big Mamardashvili to announce himself on this stage, especially with huge fixtures ahead in the next six weeks.

Paul: We are used to Alisson being injured a couple of months each season so this is expected. How much we miss him will depend on how well Mamardashvili does. I think we bought him due to Alisson's injury record and perhaps because he's in the latter part of his Anfield career. That said, Alisson is the world's best, absolutely unbelievable on one on one's, also a fantastic person. Klopp's favourite player.

Sukie: Injury prone goalkeepers are rare. Seems to be the same injury reoccurring with the hamstring. Unsure if the club have considered surgery to fix it more permanently. He's a big miss when you look back to key performances like the PSG match last season. Let's see how the new man does. Hear he is a great shot stopper but distribution not so much.

Liverpool have "far too many players who aren't at the level we need", says BBC Sport fan contributor Chloe Bloxam.

Arne Slot's side lost to Galatasaray in the Champions League this week, leading to further questions over the Reds' defence and overall team imbalance.

"We've not got the balance for me," adds Bloxam.

So what are the fixes?

Find more from Chloe Bloxam at The Redmen TV, external

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Arne Slot has confirmed goalkeeper Alisson will miss the weekend's game at Chelsea and would be "surprised" if he is available for the first game after the international break against Manchester United.

The Brazilian was injured during the Reds 1-0 Champions League defeat by Galatasaray on Tuesday.

He was replaced by summer signing Giorgi Mamardashvili.

How big a blow is Alisson's injury? And does it add to the concern around Liverpool's defensive fragilities?

Get in touch with your views here

Real Madrid's senior management are having doubts about pursuing a deal for Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract at Anfield next summer. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

The Reds have lined up Crystal Palace's France centre-back Maxence Lacroix, 25, as an alternative to his club team-mate, England defender Marc Guehi, 25. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni is not expected to be back in action until the end of 2026 following knee ligament surgery. (Mail - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Dan Roan
Sports editor

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A decision on whether to scrap the Premier League's controversial Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and adopt an "alternative system" is "coming up", says chief executive Richard Masters.

The current regulations, introduced in 2015-16 to prevent clubs from overspending, allow losses of £105m over a three-year reporting cycle.

However, they have been criticised by several top-flight teams for limiting their ability to invest.

BBC Sport has been told a decision on any changes is likely to be made at a meeting in November.

In February, clubs chose to continue with PSR for the current season.

However a squad cost ratio (SCR) system of financial control was adopted by the Premier League on a shadowing, non-binding basis.

SCR is similar to Uefa's existing financial rules and allows clubs to spend up to a percentage of their total revenues on squad-related costs.

Nine of the league's 20 clubs already have to comply with Uefa's SCR as a result of qualifying for Europe. Both Chelsea and Aston Villa were fined by Uefa in July for breaching the rules.

Asked about SCR at the Leaders sports conference in London, Masters said: "We are talking to our clubs about an alternative system. That's not to say we don't think the PSR system works."

He added: "It's about closer alignment with European regulation, which is squad cost ratio, which is a revenue test. In Uefa, it's now set at 70%. Our system will be 85% because we always want our clubs to have the ability to invest.

"The Premier League has been built on the back of investment in which international capital flows [are] coming in. We don't want that to be to be stifled off."

Read more here

Josh Sexton
Fan writer

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Florian Wirtz is currently finding out what it means to be a recent record signing for the Champions of the biggest league in the world, but it's not something he'll be completely alien to.

At one point, Wirtz was the best player for the champions of a top five league and the realisation that he suddenly had a target on his back took some adaptation. Not as much time and space on the ball, onrushing markers becoming more physical in order to get some change out of you, or better yet a reaction.

Problems he became all too familiar with at Bayer Leverkusen and is now going through again at Liverpool. Another hurdle for the reigning German Footballer of the Year and two-time (and reigning) Bundesliga Players' Player of the Year to navigate his way over.

However, he's finding out the hard way that there's more global attention once you've become a British record signing for the most decorated club in England.

There are two types who usually come through that kind of added attention unscathed - the uber-arrogant but can back it up types, or the quiet, unassuming and all-business types.

Luckily for Liverpool fans, Wirtz falls firmly into the latter category, in similar fashion to his boss Arne Slot. Both will feel they have points to prove now as the unfamiliar feeling of two losses on the spin takes a hold.

With the games coming thick and fast, the chances will come aplenty for the Reds' new number seven to find his home within the manager's tweaked system.

Likewise, Slot with all his already-proven tactical nous, will find a way to play to the strengths of Wirtz more as time passes and experience increases.

And when the 22-year-old turns 23 in May, there's a very good chance he and his gaffer will still be able to look back and laugh at all this over some silverware and champagne.

Find more from Josh Sexton on his social channels, external

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Florian Wirtz has not registered a goal involvement for Liverpool since the assist he had on his debut in the Community Shield final.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, this has generated a lot of noise on social media around the 22 year-old because of the hefty price tag the Reds paid for him.

But goals and assists are not the only metrics that exist in football - and in terms of creating chances, no-one is doing it better than the former Leverkusen man this season. The 'chances created' stat refers to the cumulative total of assists and 'key passes', with a key pass defined as a pass that leads to an attempt on goal.

Liverpool fans can be assured that Wirtz is creating the opportunities for his team-mates - they are just waiting to be converted into goals.

It is a season of change at Anfield, and their attack in particular looks completely different to last season. Assuming Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike will continue to gel with their new team-mates, and Mohamed Salah returns to the frightening form he showed last season, the goals and assists will come for Wirtz.

Perhaps the stats show there is actually no need to panic just yet.

Need to catch up on Liverpool's defeat at Galatasaray?

Take a look at our analysis above or match highlights below.

Liverpool could be willing to let Joe Gomez leave in January - as long as they can find a replacement - with AC Milan interested in the defender. (Caught Offside), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Liverpool would be "mad" to think they can win every game and losing to top teams is "normal", saying midfielder Curtis Jones.

The Reds lost their first Premier League game of the season at Crystal Palace on Saturday and followed it up with a further defeat against Galatasaray on Tuesday.

Arne Slot's side remain top of the Premier League before a visit to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday.

"It's just part of the game," Jones said. "I say it all the time, you must be mad if you think you can win every game.

"You'd obviously like to, but the reality is these teams you play are world-class teams and it's normal if you lose. It's just how you bounce back.

"We've got a huge game again in three days, the lads have to stay calm.

"It's part of it - it's not fine that we lose but we just have to stay calm and it will all change. Of course it will."

Victor Osimhen's first-half penalty proved the difference on Tuesday amid a raucous atmosphere in which Liverpool struggled.

"If you look left and right, there's world-class lads," Jones added. "But it's not all about that, it's about lads who want to go and win.

"It's OK if you're nice on the ball and stuff like that but you have to go and win, work hard and run more and that is what the lads know.

"But as I have said, there are games like this, and it won't be the last.

"We're upset, but there are positives to take and there is a game again in three days. We have to go again."

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Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin says Liverpool "sloppiness" in playing the ball out from the back meant their 1-0 defeat against Galatasaray in Istanbul "could have been worse".

"At half-time, we were talking about Liverpool getting caught with the press, not playing it out well, and being a little bit slow in their movement," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"You're thinking that won't happen again - it did three or four times!

"Victor Osimhen could quite easily have scored and there were other opportunities where they could have flipped the ball through due to Liverpool's sloppiness in an area where they very rarely are.

"Gala were handed many opportunities that they didn't take and it could have been worse than 1-0 because of that. It is so un-Liverpool."

Nevin went on to suggest Liverpool will have to find solutions in matches where the opposition consistently raise their game to match the Premier League champions, noting teething problems for Arne Slot's new-look defence.

"Liverpool have the problem all great teams have which is when anyone plays them it's their biggest game," he said.

"[Milos] Kerkez is going to fly forward so there's going to be space in behind him.

"There were lots of difficult moments for [Dominik] Szoboszlai. Yes, he can play in that position but he's not a natural out-and-out full-back. He's not a specialist and it's a very specialist position.

"The understanding between [Ibrahima] Konate and [Virgil] Van Dijk wasn't great and they looked shaky and uncertain."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views on Liverpool's 1-0 defeat by Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Here are some of your comments:

Dax: A hostile atmosphere, a dubious penalty and a team defending that lead in numbers. But Liverpool's problems were of their own making. The injuries to Alisson and Ekitike were the result of poor balls by our players. We have to be calmer to be accurate. Poor and hasty decisions can cost us more than just the result as tonight has proved.

Stephen: Dreadful, disjointed, the system too open and the defending is lax. No-one is working together. Need to go back to basics.

Sukie: Individually and collectively, a very poor display. They out-pressed us, and we gave the ball away far too many times. No reaction after the Crystal Palace game. Apart from Hugo Ekitike, new players aren't clicking with the team. A rebuild too far? Slot's a manager who likes consistency and using a small set of players. Not this season. It will take time but you don't get that in Premier League.

Ben: A bunch of turkeys lose in Turkey. This is looking like 2020-21 all over again when we won the league in the previous season. A lack of defensive options due to a lack of strength in depth, and an over-reliance on attack to bail us out nearly cost us our season. I know it's too early to be reaching for the panic button yet but, at this rate, it's going to be a long slog until we can sort things out in January.

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Andy: Poor performance, the new players haven't settled yet, and it leaves us stretched and exposed at the back, and lacking intensity in the press going forward. Whenever Jurgen Klopp signed new players, it took maybe a few months with some of them before they became regulars, for example, Fabinho. They all had to wait to make their debuts or to become regulars in the side. They had to gel in training and become use to the system. Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong all just seem a bit off the pace and out of touch with the rest of the side.

Eddie: We have become far too easy to play against. We are slow and predictable. This isn't a shock result. We have been beaten by a very average team and this will keep happening if we keep playing the ball across the back waiting for the other team to take it of us. Not confident for Saturday either and if this keeps happening it will bring its own pressure.

Amul: Team hasn't quite settled. They're still trying to find their balance which hasn't been helped by the fact that players have made unforced errors in matches but, it will improve in time.

Bradley: I'm getting absolutely sick and tired of these performances from Liverpool and some of those players should be ashamed of themselves. I just cannot understand how you can spend all that money in one summer transfer window and somehow be worse. Utterly woeful. If a remedy isn't found soon, Arne Slot must be questioned.

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Liverpool have lost back-to-back matches for just the second time under Arne Slot.

The first time came last March when the Reds were beaten in the last 16 of the Champions League by eventual winners Paris St-Germain, and then lost the EFL Cup final to Newcastle five days later.

The following international break gave them over a fortnight to lick their wounds and they responded by winning four of their next five matches, a run that began with a derby win over Everton and ended with them clinching the Premier League title against Spurs.

Liverpool have not lost three in a row since Jurgen Klopp was in charge in the spring of 2023, when another last-16 exit in the Champions League was sandwiched between Premier League defeats by Bournemouth and Manchester City.

Next up for Slot's side is Chelsea on Saturday at Stamford Bridge, a fixture they lost 3-1 last season, albeit with the title already wrapped up.

Many of Wednesday's back pages are dominated by Liverpool's 1-0 defeat by Galatasaray in Istanbul.

The i uses a picture of record signing Alexander Isak looking dejected, while The Telegraph opts for the headline 'Slot's Turkey Twizsler' - saying Reds boss Arne Slot's has been left 'in a spin' after his second defeat in a week.

The Guardian carries the headline 'Slot's hellish night' in reference to Galatasaray's famous intimidating welcome for Manchester United in the 1990s and focuses on the injury suffered by goalkeeper Alisson - who will miss Saturday's trip to Chelsea.

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer in Istanbul

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Liverpool once again failed to match the standards they set when strolling to the Premier League title last season as they went down to defeat in the cauldron that is this intimidating, deafening arena in Istanbul.

Arne Slot's side were were exposed at the back, with Alisson their saviour as Baris Alper Yilmaz was able to race clear on goal even before Galatasary went ahead from the spot early on.

Liverpool currently have a soft underbelly that has been a feature of their season so far, with several of their expensive stars struggling to make an impact, despite the fact they still stand top of the Premier League.

It took a stoppage time goal from Virgil van Dijk to win their opening Champions League game against Atletico Madrid at Anfield and, while there is no cause for concern yet about their campaign, the simple truth is that performances must improve.

Slot's decision to leave Mohamed Salah on the bench did not reap dividends, while £116m Florian Wirtz was once again anonymous.

This was a very bad night for Liverpool, capping a disappointing few days, with injury concerns over their outstanding keeper Alisson, as well as Hugo Ekitike, who went off in the second half.

Slot and Liverpool will hope for much better when they visit Chelsea on Saturday evening.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Arne Slot, speaking to Amazon Prime: "Again, disappointed. For me, this was a different performance on and off the ball [than Crystal Palace]. First half we played quite well and had a big chance to go 1-0 up.

"It is difficult to compare this situation to before. We are sometimes a bit out-smarted in situations like this and I cannot blame Dominik Szoboszlai for the situation. They make a 20% penalty a 100% penalty, which is very smart from them.

"We are not so far [off the level shown last season]. This is sometimes what the schedule can bring - Galatasaray is not a simple game. We now play Chelsea away, a difficult game.

"The margins are small and they were last season. For the second time in a row we are on the wrong side.

"I saw a lot of things in the first half, but the second half was much less. I don't think in the second half there was a lot of playing time. Their striker was on the floor four or five times. It was difficult to get momentum in the game."

Captain Virgil van Dijk, also speaking to Amazon Prime: "It is difficult to say at the moment [if Galatasaray deserved the win]. They got the penalty and opportunities through our mistakes. A bit sloppy.

"We took the risk in possession and tried to find the spare man in midfield. That comes with risk. We broke through to the last line many times and we maybe have to do better there. In those moments, we made the wrong decisions, they break on us and become dangerous.

"Losing is bad. These two games don't feel nice. I have been in the game a long time, it's about working and keeping your head down."

On how far they are from the authority they had last season: "I think we have showed it already in many games this season but we haven't shown it for the full 90 minutes yet, unfortunately.

"It is absolutely normal and nowadays you don't get the time from the outside world so you have to be strong mentally.

"I am very confident, we have to keep working and sticking together. We had a good start this year in terms of points tally.

"There shouldn't be panic, but improvement is needed."

Did you know?

• Liverpool failed to score in a Champions League group stage/league phase game for the first time since a 2-0 defeat by Atalanta in November 2020 - ending a run of 23 consecutive matches with at least one goal.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

What did you make of Liverpool's display?

Come back on Wednesday for a selection of your replies