Liverpool's 2-2 draw at Newcastle on the opening weekend of the new season has exposed lingering issues that last summer's heavy spending failed to fix, despite Arne Slot's side salvaging a point in a match they trailed for much of the second half.
Goals from Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock put Newcastle in control before Liverpool clawed their way back to share the spoils. Both Newcastle strikes came from rapid counter-attacks through space that Liverpool left exposed in midfield and defence — a familiar problem that plagued the champions for large stretches of last season and one that many had hoped would be addressed during the close season.
Newcastle manager Andoni Iraola, while praising his side's ability to hurt Liverpool on the break, pushed back against suggestions the issue was solely down to personnel changes. Referring to the buildup to Liverpool's first concession, in which Ryan Gravenberch had pushed forward into a dangerous position before the move broke down, Iraola said: "I don't want us to take that from his game but we have to adapt as a team to these situations. We have to know these situations can happen."
On Newcastle's second goal, Iraola added: "It wasn't like they caught us by surprise. We should compete for the first ball and probably make a foul — be a bit more aggressive against the ball carrier. There were different reasons for both the goals which happened in transition. We have been preparing in the week for these transitions but there's a reason why Newcastle are so good at them. It's not just because one person is playing there. It's something we have to correct between a lot of players."
The result highlighted a problem that has dogged Liverpool since Fabinho's exit in 2023: the absence of a genuine holding midfielder to protect the back line. Even during last season's title triumph under Slot, there were widespread calls — including from former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher — for the club to overhaul the squad significantly, with a dedicated defensive midfielder to partner Gravenberch seen as an urgent priority.
Instead, that specific need went unaddressed even as Liverpool broke the British transfer record to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle and committed roughly £410 million combined on their six most expensive summer signings. Of that group, only Hugo Ekitike has shown genuine promise, and he is now sidelined for months after rupturing his achilles.
The consequences of that recruitment gap were evident at St James' Park. With no true screening presence in front of the back four, Virgil van Dijk's declining pace when turning to face attackers has become a growing liability. Wary of being caught out by balls played over the top, the 35-year-old has been dropping deeper, which in turn opens gaps in front of him — space that Newcastle's Yoane Wissa exploited repeatedly during the match.
Elsewhere on the pitch, full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez struggled to make an impact, while Isak — booed by the home supporters throughout — endured a quiet afternoon in his first full 90 minutes since completing his move away from Newcastle. New signing Florian Wirtz showed flashes of quality but lacked the cutting edge to change the game.
Despite the shaky performance, Liverpool's ability to fight back for a draw offers some reassurance, particularly given that most other title contenders also struggled during the opening weekend. Manchester City needed fortune to beat Bournemouth, Aston Villa were thrashed at Brighton, and Tottenham were poor in defeat at Brentford. Only Arsenal impressed among the traditional top sides.
Still, questions remain about whether last summer's spending — which came after Michael Edwards departed his role as FSG's chief executive for football in July — addressed the right priorities, or whether it left Liverpool repeating the same defensive vulnerabilities that undermined their previous campaign.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.