'Almost too easy' – Sol Campbell explains what’s gone wrong at Liverpool this season

Sol Campbell

Arsenal legend Sol Campbell has given his thoughts on why Liverpool are trailing so far behind his former club in the Premier Leaguetitle race.

The defending champions drew 0-0 with the table-topping Gunners at the Emirates on Thursday night.

It was a result and performance that buoyed Liverpool supporters and reminded the nation of exactly who the title holders are.

That said, the outcome did little to aid the Reds' slim hopes of catching Mikel Arteta's men, whose 14-point gap between the teams remained in tact going into FA Cup weekend.

It was a far cry from last season when Liverpool, in head coach Arne Slot's debut campaign in charge, blew the competition away, eventually finishing 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal despite picking up just two points from the final 12 available.

And Campbell, who won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups with the Gunners following his controversial free transfer move from rivals Tottenham Hotspur, said:

Campbell

"The first season winning [the Premier League] was amazing for him [Arne Slot] – all the players were up for it.

“What’s happened now is they’ve brought in some new players, it’s been a little bit of uproar, discussions, people may be getting the wrong end of the stick.

“There’s a lot of TV, a lot of radio, a lot of papers talking about certain players and what’s happened.

“It was almost too easy the first season. It’s almost like everything just fell into place – it’s beautiful, i’s great. Sometimes a new manager comes in, and the players just get going and want to prove to the manager: ‘I’m a top player’.

“What’s happened is everyone, for whatever reason, has switched off – like it’s just going to happen again: ‘We’re going to steamroll, we’re just going to keep it happening..

“But football and life – things come and clash and turn your world upside down without you even seeing it coming. That’s what’s happened to Liverpool.

“And obviously they’ve had a sad passing of a top player [Diogo Jota], and that can affect people in different ways as well.

“But things have just turned, and people can’t even understand why it’s so hard: ‘Why is this happening to us?’ It’s football.

“The momentum has shifted away. To get back that momentum is hard – you’ve got to dig in, you’ve got to find a way.

“But it’s not easy because there’s another four or five teams at the top fighting to get into the Champions League, win the Premier League, get into a good position. There is competition.

“Last season felt so easy for them – everything was so smooth, like clockwork, like they didn’t have to work for it as much. But this season, they have to work for it.

“They’ve got a few different personnel, and a lot of off-the-field stuff has happened and that’s affected them in different ways.

“But they are still a top side, they have great players. It’s just the momentum has shifted from them.”

There is hope that the Reds will kick on after their encouraging second-half display against Arsenal.

While they could not prevent their run of draws from extending to three matches, Liverpool are now unbeaten in their last nine Premier League outings.

That has done much to quieten the speculation surrounding Slot, whose own future was questioned by pundits following a sequence of nine defeats in 12 games.

Campbell

“Football can turn easily if you’re not careful,”

“People can be with you and then two, three games down the line, they’re against you. Arne Slot will know that – he knows how football works.

“Results are the main thing. Turn around the results, and the performances. People have to realise you can always get lucky wins – that’s great – but you need the performances as well.

“Once the performances start turning around into a more positive territory, he’s going to be a lot happier. And the players will be a lot happier with themselves as well.”

Liverpool return to action tonight (Monday) when they face League One outfit Barnsley at Anfield in the FA Cup third round (7.45pm kick-off).

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