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Only a few weeks ago, the Merseyside club appeared set to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League crown. Their ability to secure victories without peak displays felt like the mark of genuine champions.

However, then the momentum shifted. Liverpool persisted with mediocre showings and started dropping points. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute backline and strength in depth, began closing the distance at the summit.

Understanding a Slump in Today's Game

Can three straight defeats constitute a collapse? As with most football debates, it depends completely on your interpretation of the key word. Was the United midfielder elite? What does "elite" even signify? Are Aston Villa a major club? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that's one we might settle.

For a club of this club's size and last season's brilliance, a mini crisis seems a fair assessment. During a broadcast, former striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would trigger panic. His reply was six. At present, they are midway to that point.

Pinpointing the Tactical Problems

One can observe obvious tactical issues. Integrating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a challenge. Likewise, incorporating a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative talent who elevates those around him, connecting play effortlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a number of players who excelled last campaign—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. Actually, most of the squad is. And every one of them share one significant, fresh event: the passing of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Pitch

It has been just over three short months since the tragic loss of their friend. Although the wider world moves on rapidly, diverting attention to other events, Liverpool's players continue training and playing day after day in the absence of their mate.

This is impossible to know how every player and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. It requires a significant amount of projection. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a recent match simply he lacked energy. But maybe his performance level is down a few percentage points due to the fact he misses his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a fixture, making a parallel to his personal situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I lived exactly the same thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the manager when you come to the training ground and you find every day that spot empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to handle a situation that is not easy."

Just as summarized well on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. The players hear his chant in the first half, they see his unused peg in the dressing room. In the middle of games, a through ball might be played and the thought arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have been there.' When the Egyptian showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that everything is far from all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Human Emotion

After reporting on football for twenty years, one realizes there is a fundamental lack of depth in the majority of analysis. We simply do not know how an individual is coping at any given moment and how that impacts their performance. Jota's death is one of the clearest examples. We are aware a tragic event happened, and we understand the concept of grief. But further lies an immeasurable layer of effect on different individuals at the club. It is very possible that a few of the squad personally don't truly grasp its effect from one day to the next.

The way the press covers this and how supporters analyze displays is obviously not the most important thing. On a functional level, mentioning Jota's passing is challenging to accomplish in a short soundbite before transitioning to on-field concerns. Outside of this particular event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify every criticism of a footballer with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their family situation, health struggles, or marital difficulties.

A former pro player, the defender, recently talked on a broadcast about how his mother's death midway through his career affected his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he said. "The highs 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 just three months.

The Concluding Point

So, regardless of what Liverpool achieve 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 fixtures, even if it is not the sole reason for their eventual result, we must remember that a few weeks ago they lost not just a brilliant player, but, more importantly, they lost a dear friend.