Back to News
BundesligaAugust 24, 2026

Liverpool's biggest problem became merciless in Newcastle

Liverpool's main problem is even more serious under Andoni Iraola.

Liverpool's biggest problem became merciless in Newcastle

According to Sports.

Background

Liverpool have only scored 14 goals after 9 games this season, which is a dramatic decline compared to last season. The problems on offense contrast with the expectations placed on players like Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, who are known for their goalscoring abilities. The challenges Liverpool are currently facing could also influence the interest of other Bundesliga clubs in their players.

Why this is important

The 2-0 defeat against Newcastle revealed Liverpool's structural weaknesses under Jürgen Klopp. In particular, the offense, which was strong last season, has weakened significantly this season. This development could have an impact on the club's title ambitions, especially compared to other Bundesliga clubs who are currently showing stronger form.

Key findings

  • Liverpool's biggest problem became merciless in Newcastle.
  • Liverpool's main problem is even more serious under Andoni Iraola.
  • Liverpool's biggest issue ruthlessly exposed at Newcastle. How can Iraola fix it?.
Liverpool's 2-0 defeat against Newcastle on Sunday was not only a setback in the title race, but also revealed that Jürgen Klopp's team has a major structural problem. While the Reds' defense has been repeatedly criticized for its vulnerability in recent years, this season it is the offense that is raising more questions. Liverpool had one of the best attacks in the league last season with 75 goals, this season they only have 14 after 9 games. If you consider that the Reds scored 26 goals after 9 games last season, that is a huge decline. One reason for the current goal drought seems to be Jürgen Klopp's switch to a slightly more defensive system in order to get the defensive problems under control. But the offensive, which is peppered with players like Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz, should in theory still provide a lot of goals. But at the moment the team is having difficulty finding any scoring opportunities. Against Newcastle, Liverpool had 54% ball possession, but only 7 shots on goal, of which only 2 were on target. Another big problem is the injury to Dominik Szoboszlai, who provided a lot of creativity on offense in the first games of the season. But even his return will probably not solve the problems that Liverpool currently have. The Reds are simply no longer able to showcase their fast wingers at the moment. This was largely due to Newcastle coach Andoni Iraola, who played a very intense press with his team and constantly put Liverpool's wings under pressure, so that Diaz and Salah could never really exploit their speed. However, one must not forget that Liverpool's players performed extremely poorly in this game. It was probably one of Salah's worst games since he joined Liverpool and Luis Diaz couldn't convince either. All of this meant that Liverpool's attack was almost non-existent. The next big challenge for Klopp and his team will be the game against West Ham on Sunday. Iraola tried out a lot in this game and will probably not be as flexible in tactics as he was against Liverpool. That could help Liverpool get more scoring opportunities again.

What happens next

The Reds urgently need to find solutions to their attacking problems before they fall further down the table. The return of Dominik Szoboszlai could help, but the team also needs to adapt their style of play to better showcase the strengths of their wingers. The coming games will show whether Jürgen Klopp is able to make the right adjustments to improve performance.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the Liverpool vs Newcastle game?

Liverpool lost 2-0 to Newcastle, which not only represented a setback in the title race, but also revealed a structural problem in the team.

Who confirmed Liverpool's offensive problems?

The problems on offense were made clear by the performance of the team under coach Jürgen Klopp and the analysis of the game against Newcastle.

Why is Liverpool's offense weaker this season?

The offense has only scored 14 goals after 9 games this season, which is a significant drop from last season's 26 goals. A greeting nd could be the switch to a more defensive system.

What changes has Jürgen Klopp made?

Jürgen Klopp switched to a more defensive system to fix the problems in defense, but this had a negative impact on the offense.

What are the effects of Dominik Szoboszlai's injury?

Dominik Szoboszlai's injury has affected creativity in Liverpool's attack and his return is unlikely to solve all of their current problems.

Related articles

Häufig gestellte Fragen

What happened in the Liverpool vs Newcastle game?
Liverpool lost 2-0 to Newcastle, which not only represented a setback in the title race, but also revealed a structural problem in the team.
Who confirmed Liverpool's offensive problems?
The problems on offense were made clear by the team's performance under coach Jürgen Klopp and the analysis of the game against Newcastle.
Why is Liverpool's offense weaker this season?
The offense has only scored 14 goals through 9 games this season, which is a significant drop from last season's 26 goals. One reason could be the switch to a more defensive system.
What changes has Jürgen Klopp made?
Jürgen Klopp has switched to a more defensive system to address the defensive issues, but this has had a negative impact on the offense.
What are the effects of Dominik Szoboszlai's injury?
Dominik Szoboszlai's injury has affected creativity in Liverpool's attack and his return is unlikely to solve all of their current problems.
What happened in this story?
Liverpool's biggest problem was mercilessly dealt with in Newcastle summarizes the main development covered in this report.
Why is this news relevant right now?
The timing matters for how clubs, players, and fans prepare for the next competitive phase in the season or transfer window.