Liverpool cannot stop letting in goals at the moment.
The Reds’ 3-2 defeat to Brentford means that they have now let in 14 goals in just nine Premier League games, a statistic that will not help them one bit to retain their title.
Arne Slot will have plenty of thinking to do in this department and perhaps a lot of changes to make, although in fairness, there is not much more he can do.
However, one of his biggest problems over recent weeks could be solved as soon as their next league game when they take on Aston Villa.
Against Brentford, it certainly led to a handful of issues, but with a star returning from injury soon, Slot will have one less problem to think about.
Alisson returning will help with distribution from the back
Alisson Becker is widely regarded as one of, if not the best, goalkeepers in the world, but it is also known just how injury-prone he is.
The Brazilian has been out with a hamstring injury since the 30th September, with Giorgi Mamardashvili stepping in while he is absent.
Although his shot-stopping is fairly decent, his ability with the ball at his feet is not so much, something he will need to work on if he is to make it at Liverpool.
Against Brentford, just 27 of his 46 passes were successful (59%), with the Georgian kicking it long on 23 occasions.
To put this into context, in Alisson’s last full 90 minutes, 38 of his 44 passes were successful (86%), and he only went long on nine occasions, proving how he is much more comfortable playing out from the back.
This gap in quality has been noticeable too and caused the Reds some problems, with it only being in the Brentford game that Mamardashvili’s poor passing led to the Bees eventually having a shot at goal in the same attack.
Goalkeeper really is the most important position on the pitch and despite all of Mamardashvili’s ability, the drop-off in quality is noticeable.
Giorgi Mamardashvili will still play in the cup
The exact return date of Alisson is not yet confirmed, but it is likely that he will at least be in contention this week.
However, not only will the Carabao Cup game against Crystal Palace likely be too soon to risk him anyway, Mamardashvili will get the nod due to this being the competition where he was supposed to get his minutes anyway.
This means that this could be one of his last chances in a while to impress, with his first clean sheet something he will desperately be looking for.
Given the defence he has in front of him, though, this seems very unlikely, although he can still show what he is capable of in the shot-stopping department.
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