Wembley loss shows there's still some work to be done before Reds' defence of title starts

ARNE SLOT may be forgiven for not buying into the Wembley mythology after his second trip of 2025 ended with another day of frustration as head coach of Liverpool.

- By PAUL GORST

But unlike March's deeply disappointing Carabao Cup final loss to Newcastle United, this penalties defeat to Crystal Palace might have presented just enough learning curves heading into the new Premier League season.

On this evidence at Wembley stadium - where the FA Cup holders proved triumphant in a subpar Community Shield shootout after a 2-2 draw - Slot’s Reds look like there are still one or two tweaks to make before they are ready to defend a first league championship in 40 years.

How quickly they can be tightened up might have a big say in proceedings.

That may be over-egging what was a normal-time draw in a game best known for the debate around whether or not it should even be considered a ‘competitive’ fixture, but for all the optimism surrounding the wealth of additions and the money forked out for them, there are still a couple of issues to resolve in the coming days and weeks.

Even for a side that cantered to the title by 10 points - and with four games to spare - there were areas to fix and while a near-£300m outlay has looked to answer several of the questions that lingered at the beginning of the summer, this was a day that brought into focus what still needs looking at.

Defensive depth is surely the primary concern given just Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk are the only recognised fit centre-backs at present, but there is also work to do on the training pitches for the midfielders, who have left the backline looking exposed at times across this eclectic summer period.

That's not to go overboard with the criticism at this stage.