Liverpool will begin their Premier League title defence against Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday.
Crystal Palace won 3-2 on penalties, with Mo Salah, Alexis Mac Allister, and Harvey Elliott all missing their shots, while substitute Justin Devenny scored the winning penalty.
Liverpool showed moments of strong attacking play, especially in the first half when record signing Florian Wirtz was heavily involved.
However, their defence looked very exposed when Palace bypassed their press. Van Dijk conceded a penalty in the first half, and the Reds failed to execute their offside trap properly, allowing Sarr to score.
Legendary defender Jamie Carragher voiced concerns about Liverpool’s defensive setup, noting that Milos Kerkez struggled to adapt to manager Slot’s tactics.
“LFC look great going forward but are vulnerable at the back, as we’ve seen all preseason,” Carragher wrote on X. “Many goals conceded come from aggressive man-to-man marking that leaves space behind. Today, Kerkez is pulled inside, while Sarr leaves Gakpo chasing the wing-back.”
With Jarell Quansah sold to Bayer Leverkusen and Joe Gomez sidelined by injuries, Liverpool are still linked with Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who was substituted late at Wembley.
Manager Slot was seen shaking hands with Guehi before the match, prompting an amusing reaction from Van Dijk.
However, Van Dijk believes Liverpool need to strengthen elsewhere, particularly in attack, following the departures of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez. Speaking in the mixed zone, he said the team definitely needs a new striker this summer.
“After Darwin and Lucho left, we need a new striker for sure this summer,” Van Dijk told Alex Crook of talkSPORT.
Many interpreted this as a call for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, for whom Liverpool made a £110 million-plus bid that was rejected.
Liverpool will start their Premier League title defence against Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday.
Leave a Reply