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Only a few weeks ago, Liverpool appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly a further Champions League trophy. Their capacity to win despite not optimal displays felt like the hallmark of genuine champions.

However, subsequently the momentum shifted. The Anfield side persisted with average showings and began losing matches. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute backline and strength in depth, began closing the gap at the summit.

Defining a Slump in Modern Football

Does a trio of straight losses represent a crisis? As with most football debates, it depends entirely on your definition of the central word. Is Paul Scholes elite? What does "world class" even mean? Is the Birmingham club a major club? What defines "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Well, maybe that's a question we can settle.

For a club of this club's size and last season's excellence, a minor setback appears a reasonable assessment. During a broadcast, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would cause alarm. His reply was six. At present, they are midway to that point.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

One can observe obvious tactical issues. Assimilating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different skill set to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Likewise, incorporating a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who elevates those around him, linking play effortlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Additionally, a number of players who excelled last campaign—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now underperforming. Actually, the majority of the team is. Yet every one of them share one profound, recent event: the tragic death of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Field

It has been just over three short months since the tragic passing of their teammate. While the wider world progresses rapidly, shifting focus to global matters, Liverpool's squad carry on training and playing day after day without their friend.

It is impossible to know how each player and member of the backroom team is dealing on any given day. It requires a significant amount of projection. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a recent match because he was tired. Or maybe his performance level is down a small per cent because he is grieving for his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a recent, drawing a comparison to his own situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's loss. I lived a very similar thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It is difficult for the squad, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the manager when you arrive at the training complex and you find every day that spot empty. So you must be incredibly resilient. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not good, even better than good. Because they are trying to deal with a problem that is not easy."

As explained succinctly on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are constant. They are reminded by his chant in the 20th minute, they notice his unused peg in the changing room. In the middle of games, a pass might be played and the thought arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have reached that.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that everything is far from all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Human Emotion

After covering football for twenty years, one realizes there is a fundamental lack of depth in the majority of punditry. We genuinely do not know how an individual is coping at any specific time and how that impacts their play. Jota's death is one of the most stark illustrations. We know a tragic thing happened, and we comprehend the concept of grief. But further lies an intangible layer of effect on different people at the organization. It is very possible that a few of the players themselves don't fully understand its effect from one moment to the next.

The way the media reports on this and how supporters analyze displays is clearly not the most important thing. On a practical basis, bringing up Jota's death is challenging to accomplish in a short soundbite before transitioning to on-field issues. Beyond this specific tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem strange to preface each critique of a footballer with an admission that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their family situation, personal struggles, or relationship difficulties.

A former professional footballer, Nedum Onuoha, recently talked on a broadcast about how his mother's death halfway through his playing days impacted his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "The high points and the low points that come with it no longer felt the same after that." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Concluding Point

So, regardless of what Liverpool achieve this season—if it's something or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it whenever we discuss their fixtures, and even if it isn't the reason for their eventual result, we must remember that a few weeks ago they suffered the loss of not just a brilliant player, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a dear friend.