For the final time in 2025, our Liverpool FC fans’ jury deliver their verdicts on all the big talking points coming out of Anfield
Liverpool will look to end a year of fantastic highs and devastating lows with victory over Wolves at Anfield on Saturday. Three points against the Premier League basement boys would stretch the defending champions’ winning run in all competitions to four matches and their sequence without a loss to seven.
But they will have to do it without their £125m British transfer record signing Alexander Isak, who is facing months on the sidelines after the desperately cruel injury he sustained when opening the scoring in last Saturday’s 2-1 triumph at Tottenham Hotspur.
Whether that means Liverpool, whose squad is riddled by injuries and shorn of Mohamed Salah, enter the transfer market next month remains to be seen. But it’s against that backdrop that our Reds fans’ jury members deliver their final verdicts of 2025.
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Andrew Cullen
What a hammer blow it is to lose Alexander Isak for a significant period. He has been slowly getting back into his goal scoring groove, and now he has a further setback. Isak’s absence will at least give Hugo Ekitike now the opportunity to really kick on and cement his place in the starting line-up.
Isak’s injury may also alter the landscape for Mohamed Salah – there have been some rumours that he has played his last game for Liverpool; surely Isak’s injury makes a January move highly improbable.
Whilst we have stabilised the precipitous drop in form, it would be wrong to assume that our problems are in the past. Without a defensive shake up in the January transfer market, it seems inevitable that we will continue to stumble and fall in games because of defensive frailty.
The welcome victory at Spurs serves as an important reminder that even though we are making progress on the leaderboard, the same defensive shakiness and panic persists.
The obvious desired addition is Marc Guehi, but will he be the panacea to Liverpool’s defensive problems? Ibrahima Konate has looked like he’s defending on ice this year. His fellow defensive compatriots have been better, but not by much. The problem is not an isolated one: the team is not defending as a collective.
Although we have not had the start to the season that we expected or desired, this team has given us so much to celebrate.
There will continue to be dips and dives in form in the new year, and we will need to ride the waves with the team. Also, it could be worse; we could be a blue at Christmas.
James Noble
Another big three points for Liverpool on Saturday brought with it talking points aplenty. Each of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and the returning Jeremie Frimpong contributing across the two goals was immensely pleasing. Isak’s injury, though, is clearly a blow. His subsequent Instagram Story struck an upbeat, determined, tone, at least.
The win in north London also made it three victories in a row across all competitions for the first time since September – a further encouraging signal of upward mobility.
Within his pre-match press conference, Arne Slot agreed that this Saturday’s visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers represents a “dangerous” game, while emphasising that every Premier League contest can fit that description. Rob Edwards’ team may be rock bottom, but their narrow defeat at Arsenal earlier this month hinted at improvements and a capacity to adeptly execute a game plan. It’s a match the Reds should win, but the route to doing so could take several shapes.
This is also, of course, an occasion that looks set to be emotional, as the sides meet for the first time since Diogo Jota’s death, alongside his brother André Silva, in July. A player and person who made an immense impact at both clubs. At this time of year, in particular, it feels important to keep their family and friends in mind.
