Liverpool lost 0-3 to Manchester City. Keane bluntly stated that he was no longer qualified to compete for the championship. Wirtz became the target of public criticism.

After Manchester City defeated Liverpool 3-0 at home, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane said mercilessly: "Liverpool no longer has the strength to compete for the championship. They are in deep crisis."

This defeat was Liverpool's fifth defeat in the past six rounds of the Premier League. Although they had a double defeat against Manchester City last season, this time, Liverpool suffered a complete defeat at the Etihad Stadium - Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and Doku each scored a goal, completely defeating the team coached by Slott. It is worth mentioning that Haaland also missed a penalty kick in the first half, but even so, Manchester City still comprehensively suppressed the opponent in terms of ball control, confrontation and overall intensity.

Keane said bluntly on the Sky Sports program: "You can no longer regard Liverpool as a championship contender. They lacked intensity, lacked energy, and the substitutions were chaotic - the whole team looked very weak. "

What worries fans even more is that German midfielder Wirtz, who joined last summer for a sky-high price of 116 million pounds, once again performed sluggishly and almost "disappeared" from the field. Former Manchester City defender and current Sky Sports commentator Mike Richards was unceremonious about this: "If you are worth more than 100 million pounds, you must be ready to play at any time. Today, we didn't see him at all. This is no longer just a problem for players, but also a problem for coaches. "

Richards admitted that he had defended Wirtz in the past, but now he has lost his patience: "He must perform at a higher level in every game, especially in this level of duel. "

Another famous player, Gary Neville, could not hide his disappointment. He criticized in the post-match podcast: "Wiltz looked like a child on the court. Pundits have been making excuses for the 22-year-old midfielder for too long. Players who spend more than 100 million pounds to introduce require a completely different psychological quality and sense of responsibility. "

However, not everyone advocates harsh criticism. Former England international Daniel Sturridge called for Wirtz to be given more time, but he also admitted that Anfield is in chaos: "It is obvious that the team is not as united as last year, and that tacit understanding and momentum have disappeared. Today's Liverpool is no longer a feared unit. "

After this campaign, Liverpool's ranking slipped to the middle of the standings, while Manchester City continued to chase Arsenal, the leader, and moved steadily forward on the road to the championship. For the defending champion, if it cannot reverse the decline as soon as possible, I am afraid that it will fall behind early in the middle of this season.