Liverpool failed to ease the pressure Arne Slot is facing on Wednesday as they stumbled to an unconvincing draw against Sunderland.
The Reds take on their second newly-promoted opposition in four days as they travel to Leeds United on Saturday evening. Only a win will do at Elland Road.
The Whites head into the game in buoyant mood having beaten Chelsea 3-1 on Wednesday, and Liverpool will have to be wary of a baying home crowd.
The Reds last five Premier League results have Arne Slot under pressure. Should a loss at Leeds see him sacked?
Slot certainly has some selection decisions to make in West Yorkshire, with the main focus on whether he will have the bottle to drop Mohamed Salah for a third successive match.
As he wrestles with that decision and several more, here is the XI we think Slot will send out to get a result in Leeds.
Defence
Alisson Becker looked a little rusty against Sunderland, especially with the ball at his feet. However, there is no way he will not start this one.
Who plays at right-back is a little murkier. Slot confirmed on Friday that Conor Bradley is back fit and there’s a chance the Northern Irishman comes straight back into the side.
READ MORE: Arne Slot’s explanation why he hasn’t been playing Hugo Ekitike on the left simply makes no sense
However, we think Tuesday’s tie with Inter Milan is a more likely return date for Bradley. Joe Gomez has started the last two, and with a week off on the horizon, hopefully he can go again.
Gomez’s inclusion makes the centre-back question a non-existent one – Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk will both start – while we’d expect Milos Kerkez to come in for Andy Robertson.
Midfield
Liverpool’s midfield needs to drastically change their approach if they are to get anything against Leeds.
Things were far too slow and passive against Sunderland – as they have been all season – and we think Alexis Mac Allister may pay for that with his place in the team at Elland Road.
Who is most at risk of losing their place against Leeds?
Ryan Gravenberch is likely to continue, and although Curtis Jones deserves a start, Dominik Szoboszlai is virtually undroppable right now.
Slot could choose to give Szoboszlai a rest, but with so much riding on the result, that may not happen. After two good displays, Florian Wirtz should continue in attacking midfield.
Attack
Had Liverpool kept up their better form without Salah in midweek, then we do not think Slot would be minded to bring the Egyptian back.
However, the Reds were toothless in the first-half especially and the marginal improvement seen with Salah on the pitch in the second means he will probably come back in.
Meanwhile, it feels likely that Alexander Isak will drop to the bench after starting two games in a row. Hugo Ekitike should get the nod.
On the left, Slot does not appear to want to play Federico Chiesa, meaning Cody Gakpo will be given the chance to play himself into some form.
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