Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson has acknowledged his team faces a monumental challenge to retain the Premier League crown following a comprehensive 3-0 loss to Manchester City. The result leaves the Merseyside club in eighth position, eight points adrift of the league summit.
The defeat marks a fifth loss in six league outings for last season’s champions, casting a shadow over their early campaign. Robertson stressed the importance of perspective, noting the league table is rarely scrutinized in earnest until the season’s midway point. He emphasized the immediate focus must be on rediscovering consistent form and accumulating points.
“We’ve given ourselves a huge task, there’s no hiding from that,” Robertson stated. “The conversation isn’t about the title right now; it’s about getting back to our performance levels. If we can do that consistently, we’ll start picking up results, and then we can assess the situation later in the season.”
The match’s pivotal moment arrived with Liverpool trailing 1-0, when a headed goal from Virgil van Dijk was disallowed. The officials ruled that Robertson, in an offside position, had interfered with play. While admitting his side might have been fortunate to be level, the left-back expressed his belief the goal should have stood, citing pre-season briefings on such interpretations.
The weekend concluded a mixed week for the club, which had registered significant victories prior to the Etihad Stadium setback. “We wanted to finish a strong week positively, but it wasn’t to be,” Robertson added. “We’ve taken a knock, but we have to respond.”
For the victorious Manchester City, winger Jérémy Doku revealed a subtle technical adjustment from manager Pep Guardiola contributed to his spectacular long-range strike for City’s third goal. The Belgian international explained that recent training ground work focused on his body position when shooting allowed him to generate greater power and accuracy.
At 23, Doku believes his development is far from complete. “I hope this isn’t my peak,” he said. “There’s so much to improve: finishing, movement, decision-making. I’m still a work in progress.”