Following a massive overhaul in attacking personnel, Arne Slot’s Liverpool attack is vastly different to what he inherited from Jurgen Klopp, and so is their style.
This in-depth comparison will determine why it has changed and whether it can fire them to major honours.
Goal-shy Reds facing uphill battle
This time last season, high-flyers Liverpool had scored 95 goals, boasted a comfortable seven-point lead in the league, and cruised into the last 16 of the Champions League.
However, the turbulent 12 months that followed have led to a drastic drop-off in attacking output, with the Reds recording just 72 goals since the start of the season.
A feeble defence of their Premier League crown, including just six league wins since September, has piled the pressure on Arne Slot, whose new-look side is in the midst of a battle for top four.
The elephant in the room is, of course, the £450 million summer spending spree that supposedly added the cherry on Liverpool’s cakewalk to another league title, could seldom have gone worse.
A multitude of false dawns do not occur without an explanation, such is the purpose of this article as Liverpool’s attack will be dissected and fellow Reds should have a clearer picture of what their attack should look like in the near future.
Trent’s sour departure and the right back’s curse
In May 2025, West Derby-born Trent Alexander-Arnold announced that he would be leaving his boyhood club upon the expiry of his contract in the summer.
The star right back redefined the position when he was playing in it, whose unique passing ability resulted in a Premier League average of 14.88 big chances created throughout his Liverpool career.
For context, the Reds’ current leader in big chances created is Mo Salah (9).
Slot’s predecessor utilised his fullbacks to their full extent, be it overlapping, high pressing, or eventually inverting into midfield, a ‘quarterback-esque’ position that became synonymous with Alexander-Arnold.
Just as everything went through Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne during their domination of the Premier League, Alexander-Arnold was undoubtedly Liverpool's chief creator.
Since his transfer to Real Madrid, that onus has fallen upon club captain Virgil van Dijk, and while his passing ability is implied as a right-footed left centre-back, it isn’t a like-for-like replacement.
A burden too heavy for van Dijk
Not only does van Dijk have more defensive responsibilities, but the long ball has often been used as a last resort to beat the opposition’s press.
The skipper also hasn’t been helped by the indifferent form and fitness of Liverpool’s full-backs – Milos Kerkez is now only picking up form, while the right back position has been plagued by injury regardless of its occupant.
Moreover, the intuitive relationship between full back and wide forward is now hazy at best, perfectly demonstrated by Kerkez and Cody Gakpo, compared to the synergy of Alexander-Arnold and Salah, which speaks volumes about Slot’s disjointed attack.
While the acquisition of both Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong is to hold the width, thereby facilitating Anfield’s centerpiece Florian Wirtz to operate in the half spaces, the process has been arduous, and it needs to speed up if Liverpool are to achieve anything this season.
Gegenpress quietly bows out
The attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Salah was one of the most feared in Europe because of their destructive capability.
But one of their key strengths was the innate ability to defend from the front, by way of an effective press to dispossess their opponents.
Even after Mane and Firmino’s departure, the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and the late Diogo Jota rarely gave their opponents room to breathe.
While not as intense, it was a tactic that was implemented by Slot to incredible success, especially with the help of the relentless Dominik Szoboszlai in midfield.
However, the arrival of superstars Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike meant that a tactical rethink was required – to no avail.
Wirtz, being deployed in the midfield ahead of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, has led to Szoboszlai occupying the right back position, and the lack of a forward press has created massive instability.
Liverpool fans know that pressing isn’t a key attribute of their No. 7, but have made their feelings known in that Slot must fix a problem he has caused to their once championed midfield.
Can the real Alexis Mac Allister please stand up?
Another aspect to consider is the dismal form of Mac Allister this season.
The Argentine, now without his Spanish-speaking contingent of teammates, was also carrying an injury before the season started and with his contract expiring in 2028, has also been subject to interest from long-term foes Real Madrid.
The control that Slot longs for starts with the midfield, which will in turn lead to a more fruitful attack, dealing in both goals and trophies.
More money, more problems for Slot
To summarise Alexander Isak this season, his signing day content has been the most exciting highlight of his Liverpool career to date.
The Swede has been ravaged by injuries since his arrival on Merseyside, and his limited time on the pitch merely resembled the shadow of the superstar striker that demanded a British record transfer fee.
Wirtz also endured a timid first half of the season, and was perhaps justifiably scrutinized by ex-professionals and media outlets alike, but has since kicked on in 2026, recording six goal contributions in nine games.
While the new Reds would normally have a world-class professional to learn from, talisman Salah has hardly led by example this season.
Salah’s decline emphasises need for a successor
The Egyptian King has only recorded 6 goals and 7 assists in all competitions, feeling the brutal effects of Father Time for the first time in his Liverpool career.
Salah’s positive influence on games has drastically decreased compared to previous seasons, and his moments of magic have been replaced by the opposing left back often marking him out of the contest.
However, the poor attacking output does not solely fall on Salah, the Reds have been sorely missing the dynamism of Luis Diaz, the perfect positioning of Jota and the clinical finishing from Cody Gakpo.
The latter has descended into a predictable pattern of play all too easy for the opposition to predict, and Liverpool fans seem to prefer the fearless approach from young prospect Rio Ngumoha.
Ekitike provides long-awaited beacon of hope
Throughout all of Liverpool's attacking struggles, the light at the end of the tunnel is that, after many years, they finally have a striker capable of delivering on the biggest stage.
Hugo Ekitike, initially deemed as second-rate after the Reds missed out on their initial pursuit of Isak, has laid down the gauntlet in some style.
The Frenchman is Liverpool's leading goalscorer this season, with 15 goals, whose silky style of play now has his teammates constantly looking to find him on the pitch, knowing he has the confidence and swagger to take the game to the opposition.
He has combined well with Wirtz, as the duo lead the Premier League in joint goal contributions, and Slot now has his work cut out for him as he searches for a way for both Ekitike and Isak to flourish in the same side.
Stick or twist?
On the attacking front, both Ekitike and the sublime heroics from Szoboszlai keep Liverpool in the hunt for the FA Cup and the Champions League, where they have advanced to the Round of 16 in both competitions.
Keeping Szoboszlai in the midfield appears to hold the key to maintaining the level of control Slot is looking for, and Wirtz seems to have found form at the right time this season.
World-class players like Salah rarely stay quiet for long, and he will undoubtedly have a pivotal say on the direction of Liverpool’s season in the coming weeks.
As for Slot, sporting director Richard Hughes has assembled a group of future world beaters in the attacking department and the Dutchman’s method of evolving these forwards will either make or break their chances of winning major silverware.
With Liverpool supposedly turning a corner, the signs are looking good, and the Reds still have the return of Isak to look forward to this season.
At the end of a storm…