Why are Liverpool's €488m attack struggling for goals under Arne Slot?

Liverpool 0-3 N Forest 

Liverpool spent a whopping €482.9 million on new signings this summer, a large chunk of which was devoted to assembling arguably the most dominant strikeforce in the world. So it is fair to say Arne Slot certainly wouldn't have expected his Premier League title defence to begin with six wins and six defeats from his opening 12 matches, with the Reds in danger of slipping into the bottom half of the table.

A humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, who climbed out of the relegation zone with a victory, underlined the glaring issues in this team. Goals from Murillo, Nicolò Savona and Morgan Gibbs-White gave Sean Dyche's men a deserved victory at Anfield, condemning Liverpool to their sixth defeat in seven league games. Slot's men could be 11 points behind Arsenal if the leaders win against Tottenham tomorrow, which may signal the end of their chances of retaining the title. So, where is it going wrong?

High expectations on frontline

Five of Liverpool's six frontline members started the game against Nottingham Forest: Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitiké, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and Federico Chiesa. Only Florian Wirtz was absent through injury, but the quintet couldn't find the back of the net against one of the most porous defences this season. Isak, a €145m signing from Newcastle United, has just one league goal to his name since arriving at Liverpool. Injuries have certainly hampered his opening months at Anfield, but the Swede was fit enough to start against Forest and barely contributed before being substituted in the second half.

Ekitiké came off the bench but the Frenchman struggled to make an impact, while Gakpo was unusually quiet on the left. Only Salah had numerous clear sights of goal but couldn't find the target, while Chiesa blazed over from close range when the score was 2-0. Liverpool's defensive frailties were evident last season, but their attack often managed to turn things around. With 86 goals in 38 games last season, they averaged 2.3 a game. This season, they have only bagged 18 in 12 matches - an average of 1.6. Their defence has also shipped 20 goals, an average of 1.7 a game, compared to 41 (1.1 goals per game) last term. The pressure on their forward-line to hit the ground running is telling, especially Isak and Ekitiké, and perhaps impacting their confidence with every game they fail to score.

A power and formation shift

Slot's favoured formation at Feyenoord was a 4-2-3-1, and while many could make the argument that Klopp's 4-3-3 suited the squad, the Dutchman has been keen to mark his own stamp after winning the league last season. The use of Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai and also Curtis Jones in the No. 10 role has suggested he wants to do things his way, rather than Klopp's. The result, however, has left Liverpool vulnerable at the back and with their front four butting heads in trying to get the ball.

Salah is used to being the main man at Liverpool, with over 250 goals for the club in all competitions. Having to share them with Isak, Ekitiké, Wirtz, Gakpo and Chiesa is a new concept for the Egyptian - and Slot has proved to him that he is no longer undroppable after benching him in a Champions League game. Tactically, Wirtz has been somewhat ineffectual in the central role, which is different from his favoured position at Bayer Leverkusen, where he played an inside No. 10 from the left. In midfield, the double pivot of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch does not look as secure without the third man, be it Szoboszlai or Jones. It remains to be seen whether

Full-back issue

The loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold would be a massive blow to any team, but especially Liverpool. So often, the right-back was an expert pass-crafter from the back - pinging balls into the channels for Salah to chase. Now at Real Madrid, Liverpool brought in Jeremie Frimpong but the Netherlands international hasn't been able to command a place in the side under Slot. Instead, he's preferred Connor Bradley when fit or Dominik Szoboszlai as a makeshift full-back.

The trouble is using Szoboszlai there is taking him out of the attacking areas in the final third, where he made 13 goal contributions in 2024/25. This season, he has one goal and one assist in 12 appearances - highlighting his clear absence of impact in the final third where Liverpool need him. With Bradley injured, many would expect Frimpong to slot back in, but the attacking wing-back can be exposed if he gets too far up the pitch. Forest knew to exploit this on the counter, with Milos Kerkez also deployed high up the pitch, and caused Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate problems all afternoon.