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Only a few weeks back, the Merseyside club appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League crown. Their ability to secure victories despite not optimal performances felt like the hallmark of genuine champions.

But, subsequently the momentum turned. The Anfield side persisted with average showings and began losing points. Meanwhile, the North London club, renowned for their resolute defense and strength in depth, started narrowing the gap at the summit.

Defining a Slump in Today's Game

Does a trio of consecutive defeats represent a crisis? As with most football debates, it hinges entirely on your interpretation of the central term. Is Paul Scholes world class? How do you define "world class" even signify? Are Aston Villa a major club? What constitutes "big"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Well, perhaps that's one we can settle.

For a club of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's excellence, a mini crisis seems a fair assessment. During a radio show, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would trigger alarm. His answer was six. Currently, they are halfway to that particular point.

Identifying the On-Pitch Issues

There are obvious tactical issues. Integrating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Likewise, blending in a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical player who improves those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a number of players who excelled last campaign—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. In fact, the majority of the squad is. And they all share one significant, recent event: the tragic death of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Loss on the Pitch

It has been just over three months since the devastating passing of their teammate. While the outside world progresses quickly, diverting attention to global events, Liverpool's squad continue going to work day after day in the absence of their friend.

It is impossible to know how each player and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. There is a great deal of speculation. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a recent match simply he lacked energy. But perhaps his performance level is down a small per cent because he misses his friend.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a fixture, drawing a comparison to his own experience of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the tragedy. I lived a very similar thing when I was a player two decades past."

"It is difficult for the squad, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the manager when you arrive at the training complex and you find daily that spot vacant. So you must be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not good, even better than good. Because they are trying to deal with a problem that is not easy."

Just as explained well on a popular fan podcast, the memory triggers are ongoing. The players are reminded by his chant in the 20th minute, they notice his unused peg in the changing room. Even during games, a through ball might be played and the thought arises: 'Ah, Jota would have reached that.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that all is far from all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Personal Grief

After reporting on football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a inherent superficiality in most punditry. We simply do not know how an player is feeling at any given time and how that affects their play. Jota's passing is one of the clearest examples. We know a terrible event happened, and we comprehend the nature of grief. But further lies an immeasurable layer of impact on various people at the organization. It is highly likely that a few of the squad themselves do not truly understand its influence from one moment to the next.

The way the media reports on this and how supporters dissect performances is obviously not the most important thing. On a functional level, mentioning Jota's death is difficult to do in a short soundbite before moving on to on-field issues. Beyond this particular event and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify every critique of a player with an admission that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their family situation, health challenges, or relationship difficulties.

An ex- pro player, the defender, lately talked on radio about how his mother's passing midway through his career impacted his passion for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he said. "Some of the high points and the low points that come with it no longer felt the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Final Point

So, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—if it's something or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it whenever we analyze their matches, and even if it isn't the reason for their eventual outcome, we must remember that a short time ago they lost not just a brilliant footballer, but, more importantly, they lost a friend.