Liverpool’s disappointing 3-2 loss to Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday raised questions about their defensive setup.
Despite leading early in the match with an explosive goal from Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool found themselves 3-1 down at halftime after goals from Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi, and Rodrigo Muniz.
Though Luis Diaz managed to pull one back in the second half, Liverpool couldn’t recover, suffering just their second Premier League defeat since Arne Slot took over as manager last summer.
Jamie Carragher Points to Defensive Imbalance
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes the team’s defensive woes against Fulham stemmed from a crucial tactical mistake—playing two right-footed players in the heart of the defense.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, both right-footed, started as the central pairing at Craven Cottage, a decision that Carragher thinks played a key role in their downfall.
During the match, Fulham’s high press put immense pressure on Liverpool, forcing them into mistakes.
One of the most notable errors came when Alex Iwobi scored after Liverpool lost possession just outside their penalty area.
Analyzing the goal on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Carragher explained the defensive weakness that led to the goal.
Lack of Left-Footed Centre-Backs Highlighted
Carragher pointed out that Liverpool has long struggled with a lack of left-footed centre-backs, something that became glaringly apparent during this game.
“The reason why Fulham have pushed it to van Dijk is… and something Liverpool have always lacked… a left-footed centre back,” Carragher said.
He continued to explain how this imbalance affected Van Dijk’s decision-making under pressure.
“If you had a left-footed centre-back with the quality of Van Dijk, he could have played a long-range pass from left to right and found Mo Salah in space,” Carragher noted.
However, with Van Dijk on the left side, he was limited to playing a shorter pass, which ultimately led to a turnover and a goal.
The Domino Effect of Right-Footed Centre-Backs
Carragher further critiqued the overall setup, emphasizing that playing multiple right-footed players in central defense, like Joe Gomez and Jarrell Quansah, has contributed to Liverpool’s defensive inconsistencies.
The failure to have a balanced left-right footed pairing at the back has created vulnerabilities in situations like the one that led to Fulham’s first goal.
In the end, Liverpool’s defensive missteps were costly, leaving them to reflect on what went wrong in a match they will likely consider a missed opportunity.