Hugo Ekitike shirt swap hinted at bigger problem - Arne Slot and Liverpool are too nice

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.

The Liverpool manager has said that he believes his team can be too honest for their own good and there is certainly evidence to suggest they amongst the fairest teams in the Premier LeagueSomehow, there were six cautions in the game between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium last Saturday. All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageSzoboszlai was dismissed for illegally denying Haaland a clear goalscoring opportunity and that is the only straight red card given to a Liverpool player in the Premier League this season.

In the Premier League, only five teams have fewer yellow cards than Liverpool this season.Enough has been rightly said about Hugo Ekitike’s and Rayan Cherki’s decision to swap shirts before the end of the match the other day. But they would have thought nothing of it.

The problem with seeing those things as a negative is that there seems to be little difference from last season when they won the Premier League in a relative canter.Being honest and fair did not hinder Liverpool then. Haaland’s penalty had given City a head of steam and Liverpool could have done more to disrupt the game’s flow.That is not in Slot’s game plan and the reality is that Liverpool have become a team that is, for want of a better word, ‘nice’ to play against.