As Liverpool are fighting for their Champions League life, both this year and next, it’s obvious to everyone that the team is struggling defensively. While the analytics disagree, they say the Reds are a Top 3 defensive club based on XGs and other factors, the eye test and other numbers tell a different story.
For example, Liverpool have already conceded 12 goals after the 80th minute this season, while the total for the same span in 24/25 was only 8. That means the Reds have dropped a total of 13 points during the final 10 minutes of the match plus stoppage time, compared to only five points a season ago.
Here are a few reasons for those struggles and suggestions on how to fix them.
Solve The Set-Piece Crisis
One of the biggest issues is that 43.75% of goals conceded have come from set pieces. While the club sacked set-piece coach Aaron Briggs in late 2025, the 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in the last match proves there is still work to be done for the Reds.
Mario Lemina’s early winner came from a corner where Liverpool failed to mark up properly, and it is not an isolated incident. Arne Slot has addressed the issue many times in various press conferences.
Robertson Needs More Time On The Pitch
I have said all season that Andy Robertson needs to see more playing time. After all, there is no substitute for experience. The chart below shows that the Reds perform better when the Scotsman is on the pitch.
| Metric | With Robertson | Without Robertson |
|---|---|---|
| Win Percentage | 65% | 59% |
| Loss Percentage | 17% | 13% |
| Draw Percentage | 18% | 28% |
Robertson also had one of the best games of the season in a 3-1 win vs Wolves in the FA Cup, even scoring a goal. In spite of that performance, he did not see the pitch for long in the loss to Galatasaray, but still managed a strong performance in the LFC Globe Player Ratings. Slot would do well to reward that type of play with a longer run of playing time.
Injuries Play A Part
All the blame cannot be placed at Slot’s feet, however. Defenders Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley and Wataru Endo are out for the season, while others like Jeremie Frimpong have missed significant time. A manager can make all the adjustments he wants, but with that much talent missing, a team is bound to take a step back and struggle at times.
Have Your Say
What do you think is to blame for Liverpool’s defensive struggles? Slot? Injuries? The inability to stop set pieces or something else? Let us know below.