Since this match fell during the holiday break, I watched it in a hotel while traveling and only found time to write this review after returning.
Slot continued experimenting with the lineup. Contrary to my expectations, he didn't select Wirtz or Chiesa as attacking midfielder, instead reverting to Szoboszlai in that role. At left-back, he didn't rotate in Roberson, sticking with Kerkez as the starter. This lineup essentially reverted to the previous style of play. The problem was the absence of Arnold and Diaz, which left the attack lacking creativity. In the midfield trio, Szoboszlai and Gravenberch never got a rotation break, while Mac Allister, hampered by injury, couldn't regain his form and couldn't match Chiesa's midfield presence.
In the second half, Wirtz replaced Bradley as attacking midfielder, while Szoboszlai shifted to right-back. At 56 minutes, Roberson came on for Kerkez at left-back, Jones replaced Konate in defensive midfield, and Gravenberch moved to right-center-back. Liverpool's right flank attack began to show promise: Szoboszlai crossed from the right, Isak cleverly controlled the ball centrally, and Gakpo fired home from close range to equalize. Liverpool created several more chances afterward, but Salah's poor form saw him squander opportunities. In the 74th minute, Ekitiké replaced Isak as center forward—not as I expected on the left wing—and Liverpool's attack lost its threat. I thought Slot might bring on Chiesa or Ngumoha for one last push, but instead he substituted Endo for Mac Allister to protect the draw. While conserving a draw away is understandable, it remains somewhat disappointing. Strengthening the attack could have created winning opportunities. Substituting Gomez at center-back to allow Gravenberch to return to midfield might have been more effective. The final goal conceded stemmed primarily from Robertson's injury-compromised inability to mark the opponent at the far post.
Three consecutive away losses are naturally disappointing. The packed schedule is an objective factor, but insufficient rotation amid manageable injuries reflects coaching staff decisions. Offensively, I'm not overly concerned—Wirtz, Isak, and Ekitiké bring creative spark when on the pitch. Defensive issues are more significant: Konate's mental and physical state are unsatisfactory, yet there's no suitable competition for his position. The lack of a consistent right-back disrupts defensive cohesion; hopefully Frimpong integrates quickly. Mamardashvili's goalkeeping isn't as reassuring as Allison's, but there's no alternative for now. The pressure to win at home against Man Utd is immense. I hope Ekitiké starts on the left wing to link up with Isak and Wirtz. Szoboszlai could replace the long-traveling Mac Allister at left defensive midfield, with Frimpong at right-back. As long as the attack can create genuine threats, I believe we can win even with defensive instability.