There are many who dismiss the meaningfulness of preseason, but those who tuned into Liverpool’s summer friendlies could have predicted the chaos of their Premier League opener.
Liverpool, rather unsurprisingly following such a sizeable spending spree, have looked electrifying in the final third. Hugo Ekitiké has immediately flourished and record signing Florian Wirtz has offered glimpses of his brilliance. But the Reds conceded 11 times during their seven preseason outings and allowed two more in their opening day victory over Bournemouth. For all the money spent—over £300 million ($402.5 million) inclusive of add-ons—their defence remains unconvincing.
