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Only a couple of weeks back, the Merseyside club seemed destined to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially another Champions League trophy. The team's ability to win despite not peak performances seemed like the hallmark of true title-winners.

However, subsequently the momentum turned. Liverpool persisted with average performances and started dropping points. Meanwhile, Arsenal, known for their stubborn backline and strength in depth, started narrowing the gap at the summit.

Defining a Crisis in Today's Game

Can a trio of straight defeats represent a crisis? As with many football debates, it hinges completely on your definition of the central word. Was the United midfielder world class? How do you define "world class" even signify? Are Aston Villa a big club? What defines "big"? Are Manchester United back? Alright, perhaps that is one we might answer.

For a club of Liverpool's size and last season's excellence, a minor setback appears a fair description. During a radio show, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would trigger panic. His reply was six. Currently, they are midway to that threshold.

Pinpointing the Tactical Issues

One can observe clear footballing problems. Integrating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct style to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Likewise, incorporating a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who improves those around him, connecting play seamlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Additionally, a number of players who shone last campaign—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now underperforming. In fact, most of the squad are. Yet they all have one significant, fresh event: the passing of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Pitch

It has been just more than three months since the tragic loss of their teammate. While the wider world moves on rapidly, diverting focus to other matters, the club's players carry on going to work day after day in the absence of their mate.

It is not possible to know how every individual and member of the backroom team is coping from one day to the next. There is a great deal of speculation. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a recent match because he was tired. But perhaps his form is down a few per cent due to the fact he misses his friend.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a fixture, drawing a parallel to his own experience of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the loss. I lived exactly the same experience when I was a player two decades past."

"It's not easy for the squad, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the manager when you come to the training ground and you see every day that place empty. So you must be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are doing not well, even better than good. Because they are trying to handle a situation that is not easy."

As explained succinctly on a well-known supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. They are reminded by his chant in the 20th minute, they see his empty locker in the dressing room. In the middle of games, a pass might be made and the thought arises: 'Oh, Jota would have been there.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it indicates that everything is not all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Human Emotion

After reporting on football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a inherent lack of depth in most analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an player is coping at any specific time and how that impacts their play. Jota's passing is one of the most stark illustrations. We are aware a terrible event happened, and we comprehend the concept of grief. Beyond that lies an immeasurable layer of effect on different individuals at the organization. It is highly likely that some of the squad themselves don't fully understand its influence from one day to the next.

How the media covers this and how fans dissect performances is obviously not the primary factor. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's death is challenging to accomplish in a brief segment before transitioning to tactical issues. Beyond this specific event and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface each criticism of a player with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their parental relationships, personal challenges, or relationship problems.

A former professional player, the defender, recently spoke on radio about how his mother's passing midway through his career impacted his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "The high points and the low points that accompany it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Final Point

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish this season—if it's something or if it's nothing—even if we omit reference to it every time we analyze their fixtures, even if it isn't the cause for their eventual result, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they suffered the loss of not just a exceptional player, but, more importantly, they lost a friend.