Liverpool succumbed to back-to-back defeats under Arne Slot for only the second time with a horribly disjointed performance at Galatasaray that was compounded by two injury concerns.Galatasaray 1-0 LiverpoolChampions League (2) | Rams ParkSeptember 30, 2025Goal: Osimhen 16′ (pen)1. No sugar coating this oneGiven they sit top of the Premier League with five wins from six, it would be fair to say that some of the assessments of Liverpool’s start to the season have been harsh in the extreme.But there is no doubting that, this time, the critics will be fully justified in laying into Arne Slot and his team.Galatasaray may have had an intimidating home atmosphere behind them, but the quality gap between these two sides means it simply should not have been a contest.However, the visitors simply could not show that, putting on a rushed, sloppy, and horribly disjointed performance to go down to a deserved defeat.Perhaps Slot has previously felt that time is all his players needed to finally click and put on the 90-minute performance they have lacked so far.This performance would suggest he has bigger issues to ponder. 2. Reds not helped by refereeA quick word, though, for the performance of referee Clement Turpin, who was arguably just as bad as the visitors on the night.Beyond awarding a soft penalty that decided the game, the Frenchman offered up a masterclass in how not to officiate in a difficult atmosphere.Turpin seemed to fall for every Galatasaray dive, regularly stopped the game for injuries that weren’t to the head, and allowed the hosts to slow things down as much as they wanted.He also failed to book Lucas Torreira despite the Uruguayan committing five fouls across the 90 minutes.The officials certainly weren’t to blame for Liverpool’s defeat, but they didn’t help maintain a level playing field. 3. It has to be said, Liverpool are missing Alexander-ArnoldIs this the first time so far this season that Liverpool have looked to be missing Trent Alexander-Arnold?It certainly felt like it as they struggled time and time again to play their way through an aggressive Galatasaray press.Previously, when facing such pressure, the Reds would be able to funnel the ball out their right-back and rather suddenly end up in the opposition’s final third.Here, however, they were passing the ball around like a hot potato before a defender was inevitably dispossessed leading to a chance for the hosts.Unfortunately for Slot, Alexander-Arnold isn’t going to return to his team, and so he is going to have find solutions in build-up with the tools currently at his disposal. 4. Ibrahima Konate has no chance of major paydaySpeaking of defenders uncomfortable in possession, it was a tricky night for Ibrahima Konate – and not the first this season, as many have noted.Like the team as a whole, the Frenchman has been subject to over-the-top condemnation during a patchy start to the campaign, with his contract situation leading to many forgetting all too quickly his countless impressive performances for the Reds over they years.But the fact is, football clubs will always ask ‘what have you done for me lately?’ when dishing out new deals, and Konate is making too many mistakes at the moment to justify a huge pay bump.If he continues in this vein between now and the end of the campaign, then you suspect the recruitment team will be readying themselves to wave him off on a free transfer. 5. Chelsea now feels like a must-winWith the fixture list showing a trio of consecutive away games, this always looked like it was going to be a difficult week for Liverpool.But with two defeats now suffered, the third – a trip to Chelsea – is starting to a feel an awful lot like a must-win.That will inevitably be more difficult with Alisson out injured, with Slot confirming “he’s definitely not going to play,” and Hugo Ekitike a doubt after being forced off.However, a crucial win at Stamford Bridge against an opponent who have plenty of their own problems would do a lot to lift the mood going into the international break.