How to watch, analyze, what to pay attention to

Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones are the new, unexpected conductors in the midfield. They drift around, absorb passes and deftly create a killer pass. Klopp’s Liverpool is still there. But this Liverpool chooses the moments when it goes full throttle. The additional wrinkle at Slot has occurred so quickly that most teams still don’t know how to respond.

Liverpool is now a two-headed beast. They can lull you into a false sense of security by casually passing the ball around and boring you into submission. But they can still pick up the pace if they want. Preparing to play against them has become a dizzying multi-dimensional challenge and no one can stop them.

Why are four-time reigning Premier League champions Man City in freefall?

Every dynasty must fall. The superpower that Pep Guardiola built appears to be crumbling.

The sustained attacks off the pitch play a big role, but on the pitch, Manchester City have not won in their last six games, lost five and blew a 3-0 lead with 15 minutes to go against Feyenoord on Tuesday to take them to the There was a 3-3 draw. They have lost three Premier League games in a row. City lost three league games throughout last season, becoming the first team in English football history to win four consecutive top flight titles.

Why did this dramatic collapse happen so quickly? You have forgotten how to defend yourself.

City have conceded at least two goals in each of their last six games – the first time since May 1963. They are losing goals, struggling for confidence and aging superstars returning from injury are rusty.

Many point to the loss of exceptional defensive midfielder Rodri, who was just named the best player in the world but suffered a season-ending knee injury in September. That’s a big part of it, but a team that has been so dominant for so long shouldn’t capitulate like this because a player is out. A perfect storm of bad luck, big mistakes and father time threatens to capsize what is arguably the greatest team in the history of English football.

Will superstar Mohamed Salah stay at Liverpool? Or lead a “Last Dance”-style exodus?

I was one of the few journalists to chat to Salah about his much-debated future last weekend as he scored twice in the closing stages to lead Liverpool to a comeback win 3-2 at Southampton.

“Well, we’re almost into December and I haven’t had any offers to stay at the club yet. I’m probably outside more than I am inside,” Salah said. “I’m not retiring soon so I’m just playing, focusing on the season and trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League too. I’m disappointed, but we’ll see.”

Salah is Liverpool’s all-time leading Premier League goalscorer. He has been sensational this season and the talisman of Liverpool’s return to perennial challengers for all of football’s top trophies.

But Salah, 32, is out of contract this summer, as are Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, 33, who is one of the best defenders of all time, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, 26, one of the brightest talents in Liverpool’s youth system, who is in has won everything in the game together with Salah and Van Dijk for the last seven years. Salah is to Liverpool what Michael Jordan was to the Chicago Bulls. Van Dijk is Rodman. Alexander-Arnold is Pippen.

The fact that these three stars are out of contract this summer while Liverpool are enjoying one of their best starts to a season ever is a mystery to most Liverpool fans.

Salah’s comments last week increase pressure on Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which also owns the Boston Red Sox, to hand these three superstars huge new contracts. This won’t necessarily happen due to Liverpool’s salary structure, spending restrictions imposed by the league, the ages of Salah and Van Dijk and the direction Michael Edwards, who has just returned to Liverpool as the new head of football, wants to go in .

Salah and either Van Dijk or Alexander-Arnold could still remain at Liverpool after wearing a few more winners’ medals around their necks this season. But certainly not all three. This situation has a very “Last Dance” feel to it.