Liverpool leak goals but Arne Slot sees no defensive crisis

In a lively 3-2 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Monday, followed by a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on Sunday, Liverpool's defence, led by Virgil van Dijk, looked vulnerable.

Palace peppered the Reds with 14 shots, creating three big chances to Liverpool's two, with a penalty and a late strike exposing defensive lapses.

Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher took to X, noting: "LFC looking great going forward but susceptible defensively, as we've seen all pre-season. A lot of the goals conceded by LFC have come from going man to man really aggressively & leaving space in behind."

His post, pinpointed tactical aggression as a culprit, with players like Milos Kerkez and Ismaila Sarr exploiting gaps.

Slot, however, downplayed concerns, suggesting the issue lies in conceding goals rather than chances. "We don't concede a lot of chances, but we do concede goals at the moment," he said after the Palace draw.

Reflecting on the Bilbao game, he added, "We didn't concede one chance at all, maybe one. But we conceded two set-pieces, which are a big part of football, not from open play."

The Dutch manager acknowledged the need for "a little bit of adjustment defensively" but highlighted the integration of four new signings following a busy transfer window. "You need time to adapt, offensively or defensively," he said.

Recent X posts from Liverpool's official account confirm the club's excitement about their attacking recruits, with a highlight reel of their 3-2 Bilbao win captioned: "New faces, same Reds spirit! #LFC."

Slot also praised Liverpool's attacking evolution, stating, "The whole pre-season, we've seen we are able to create more and are more comfortable on the ball. Now we are better at getting in promising situations than we were last season."

Yet, with nine goals conceded across recent friendlies, including four against AC Milan, one against a Japanese side, and two each against Bilbao and Palace, the Reds' defensive solidity, a hallmark of last season's tight victories, appears shaky.

Last term, Liverpool often ground out 1-0 or 2-1 wins, rarely conceding more than a single goal. Now, as Slot's high-octane style takes shape, the Reds seem geared for thrillers, with 3-2 scorelines becoming the norm.

"What made us strong last season was keeping clean sheets or conceding at most one goal," Slot said. "We're working to find that balance again."

As Liverpool gear up for the Premier League, fans will hope Slot's optimism translates into a tighter backline, with recent X updates from supporters urging the team to "shore up the defence" before the season kicks off.