The draw versus Crystal Palace
Liverpool dropped another 2 points in their second game in the season after failing to beat Crystal Palace.
The Reds were missing the likes of Thiago, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota and Joel Matip through injury. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ibrahima Konate appear to be more long-term absentees.
Liverpool started the game quick on their feet and looked as though they were destined to score, though a professional Crystal Palace defence denied all the early chances.
Just past the half-hour mark, Palace star man Wilfried Zaha netted a brilliantly worked team goal against the run of play, switching the momentum in Palace's favour.
A video of the Palace fans inside Anfield celebrating their goal can be viewed below.
Frequent sloppy passes and miscommunication from Jurgen Klopp's men led to plenty of Palace chances towards the back end of the first half, though Liverpool held on and made it to halftime with the scoreline at 1-0 to Crystal Palace.
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The second half saw Liverpool once again fighting, with plenty of chances without the all-important goal.
Just before the hour mark, Darwin Nunez saw his first Premier League start cut short sourly, being sent off for violent conduct after headbutting Palace man Joachim Anderson. This was the first sending-off for such a reason under Jurgen Klopp's reign.
The sending-off surprisingly gave Liverpool a boost, with Luis Diaz finally netting the equaliser just 4 minutes after the red card.
The match then continued as it was, with neither team grabbing the winning goal to get their club the three points.
What the bosses had to say
Palace manager Patrick Vieira had his say on the game, “I think today we showed character, the personality, we showed a lot of discipline”
While Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp felt pride in his team's performance, “I told the boys after the game I’m proud, and I am – that’s what I feel.”
The lack of attacking options
Due to Darwin Nunez receiving his red card, the Uruguayan will now be unavailable for selection for the next three Premier League games, including the huge match versus Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Klopp is now left with just Mohammed Salah and Luis Diaz as his ideal forwards.
Youngsters Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho are two options, though the youngsters are still finding their feet at the top level despite their raw talent.
Another usual forward option is traditional midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The Englishman is also injured and will be out for at least the next few weeks, leaving one less option in the attacking positions.
Duo Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota are currently sidelined due to injury. Jota is expected to be available in early September. Firmino's injury has limited information, though it is believed to be a minor issue.
Sadio Mané, Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi all left the club this summer, with just one inward transfer replacing the trio. Looking in hindsight, this could be perceived as a naive choice, though the spurt in injuries couldn’t have been predicted.
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Jurgen Klopp has insisted that diving back into the transfer market won’t be necessary, but with his squad becoming smaller and smaller, will he have to rethink that decision?
The next fixture
Liverpool’s next match comes against major rivals Manchester United, who are also struggling for form, losing their opening match to Brighton before a humbling 4-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford.
Liverpool will be entering the game with plenty of absentees. A possible change of tactics or formation could be necessary in order to get their first Premier League victory of the seaon.
The game will be played at old Trafford on Monday 22nd August.
Kick off time is 8 PM UK time and is available to view on Sky Sports Main Events and Sky Sports Premier League.