‘I’d be Worried’: Paul Merson Spotted Something Which Concerned Him About Liverpool During Yesterday’s Win

Liverpool shift their attention to the Champions League this week following a convincing victory over Southampton on Saturday.

Despite expectations of an easy win at Anfield, the match proved to be more challenging than anticipated, as the Premier League’s bottom club put up a determined fight against the league leaders.

Following a sluggish performance against PSG on Wednesday, Liverpool did not significantly improve in front of their home crowd.

A misunderstanding between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker led to Will Smallbone opening the scoring for Southampton—a goal that reflected the visitors’ early dominance and was fully deserved at that stage of the match.

Liverpool responded strongly in the second half. Mohamed Salah revealed that Arne Slot “lost his head” during the half-time break, and the Dutch manager’s outburst seemingly sparked the reaction he wanted from his team.

However, speaking as a pundit for Sky Sports, Paul Merson suggested there were concerning signs for Liverpool as they prepare for another challenging fixture on Tuesday.

Paul Merson ‘Worried’ About Liverpool vs PSG

Liverpool have now delivered two consecutive performances where they appeared sluggish and, at times, visibly fatigued.

Despite securing victories in both matches, significant improvement will be required when the free-scoring PSG visit Anfield on Tuesday.

Following that clash, the Reds must turn their attention to preparing for the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle. As these crucial fixtures approach, Merson has warned that Liverpool will need to raise their game or risk being eliminated from two competitions.

“It soon changes very quickly, football,” he said. “A bad week and you’re out of two competitions, lose a final and get knocked out of the Champions League, then you’ve just got the league which is virtually nearly done.

“So, big, big week for them. Big week. But I’m disappointed in them today, I know they won and that’s all they had to do, but I’d be worried about the way they played coming into this game on Tuesday night.

“I thought they might get that little bit of confidence up, that swagger back, I didn’t see that today.”

Thought

At this point in the season, it could be argued that results matter more than performances – and to some extent, that is true.

If Liverpool perform poorly in their next two matches but still advance to the Champions League quarter-finals and secure the Carabao Cup, there will be little room for complaints.

However, this is far from the ideal time for the Reds to start showing signs of fatigue.

As Merson points out, the Premier League title now appears to be almost secured. That is an enviable position, allowing Liverpool to conserve energy during the final nine league fixtures.

On the other hand, there is also the risk of being eliminated from two competitions, leaving the team with a run of relatively meaningless games once the league is won. While most fans would gladly accept that outcome, there are still valid concerns moving forward.

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