Andoni Iraola is aware that for Liverpool to succeed, he must restore Anfield's reputation as a fortress. The team's current situation, however, is challenging. Liverpool faced a 3-0 defeat against Manchester City after Ryan Gravenberch's red card in the 62nd minute. Iraola remarked after the match on BBC's Match of the Day, "We played two different games. One until the red card, and then after. For 60 minutes, the players were very good. The second game from the red card was where City were better than us."
Read More
This loss ended Iraola's unbeaten streak of 24 matches in the Premier League, which previously included 10 wins and 13 draws since January. Currently, Liverpool is winless in three Premier League home matches this season, a rare occurrence. This marks a continuation of their struggle at Anfield, as they remain winless in five consecutive home league matches (D4 L1).
Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock commented on BBC Radio 5 Live, stating, "The best teams in the world are also horrible to play against. Liverpool aren't horrible. They're an easy touch at the moment. They have too many players that are nice and they have to change that part of things." He highlighted the lack of leadership among players, aside from Virgil van Dijk.
Since the start of the year, Liverpool has won only four out of 13 Premier League matches at Anfield. Notably, they have achieved more victories away from home during this period. While Anfield historically has a low victory rate for visiting teams at 12.5%—the lowest in Premier League history—the current home form is concerning.
Ex-Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes remarked on The Good, the Bad and the Football podcast that the intimidating atmosphere at Anfield appears diminished. He noted, "When you go to Liverpool... the crowd played such a major part. It feels like that's gone. Teams seem to have a lot more possession and look a bit more comfortable than they ever have." Nicky Butt, Scholes' former teammate, added that teams used to enter Anfield already beaten.
Despite winning two away matches this season, Liverpool currently sits ninth in the league, struggling with a mere seven goals scored, only two of which have come at Anfield. This puts them among the lowest scoring teams in the league. Injuries have sidelined key players, including Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, and Dominik Szoboszlai, who collectively scored six of Liverpool's seven league goals this season.
In the match against Manchester City, Liverpool faced a stark contrast in attacking quality, with City scoring 16 goals this season compared to Liverpool's seven. The team has failed to score in two of their three home league matches this season, a trend that must be addressed. Lewis Koumas, while performing well in Isak's absence, lacks the finishing touch needed at this level. Expectations are high for high-priced signings Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, yet they fell short in critical moments during this match.
Iraola expressed pride in his players' effort, stating, "You learn a lot in games like today. I am very proud of my players. They put the work rate and everything in today. It's a loss and we didn't get anything from the performance but I liked it a lot." However, he recognizes that significant improvements are necessary, particularly in maximizing the contributions from the club's high-profile signings.