Liverpool were out-tackled and out-run, with Liverpool revealing a 20 per cent drop

Liverpool have spoiled this Premier League title defence. It was always going to be difficult but no one expected them to fall off the mountain.

And it really seems like the problems start and end almost as soon as the lack of closure and lack of coping. Basics

Last season Liverpool’s tackles and interceptions are down almost 20%

It is very final. Last season this Liverpool team made a combined 24.8 tackles and interceptions a Premier League game. That figure stands at 20 this season and is the lowest in the Premier League.

In Sunday’s defeat to Manchester City, Liverpool were outscored 17-8 despite playing an almost equal part. The most damning statistic is that the midfield trio of Ryan Grunbach, Alexis McAllister and Dominik Sozoboslai were credited with making zero tackles in the game. For all the criticism of Mo Salah’s lack of defensive effort, he actually made two tackles compared to Florian Wertz’s zero.

Read: 16 takeaways from that beating at Manchester City

Liverpool are being outmuscled in the middle

Last season this Liverpool side finished ninth in the Premier League list of clubs who made the most tackles in the middle of the pitch. During this season they live under a rock. And it’s not even close. Tottenham have scored 103 and Liverpool top the list with 49. Math fans, that’s less than half.

The current top four in the Premier League have all made between 64 and 69 tackles from the middle third this season, while Liverpool (49) are just below the ever-so-disappointing Nottingham Forest (57) and Newcastle United (60) at the bottom of the table.

Liverpool are running lower than everyone but West Ham and Chelsea

Now you’d expect Liverpool to run less than most Premier League clubs because they usually b) play controlled football under Arne Slott who shouldn’t rely on chasing the ball or the opposition.

But what you wouldn’t expect is Liverpool to be outscored by only West Ham and Chelsea in this metric, which was more than four Premier League clubs last season.

And you certainly wouldn’t expect Liverpool to run a collective nine kilometers less than Manchester City during that 3-0 defeat, or to consistently outrun Manchester City (lead the Premier League numbers) and Arsenal (third) in their first 11 Premier League matches of the season.

Liverpool have not picked up a point from a losing position

Is it a result of lack of fighting? It is telling that in five Premier League games, Liverpool have gone behind and come away with no points from those five games. None.

It might not have been so damaging if Liverpool hadn’t won 23 points from last season’s relegation en route to the Premier League title.