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Only a couple of weeks ago, Liverpool appeared set to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially another Champions League crown. The team's ability to win without optimal performances seemed like the hallmark of true champions.

But, then the tide shifted. Liverpool persisted with mediocre performances and started losing points. At the same time, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute defense and strength in depth, started closing the distance at the summit.

Defining a Slump in Today's Game

Can three straight losses represent a collapse? As with most sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your interpretation of the key term. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "world class" actually signify? Are Aston Villa a major team? What defines "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Well, maybe that is a question we might settle.

At a team of Liverpool's size and last season's excellence, a minor crisis seems a fair assessment. During a broadcast, ex- forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would cause panic. His reply was six. Currently, they are midway to that threshold.

Identifying the On-Pitch Issues

There are clear tactical problems. Integrating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who offer a distinct skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Similarly, blending in a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who elevates those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself upon the game.

Additionally, a number of individuals who shone last campaign—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. In fact, the majority of the team are. And every one of them have one significant, recent experience: the tragic death of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Grief on the Field

It has been just over three short months since the devastating passing of their teammate. While the wider world moves on rapidly, shifting focus to other matters, Liverpool's squad carry on training and playing each day in the absence of their friend.

This is impossible to know how every player and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. There is a great deal of speculation. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a particular match because he lacked energy. Or maybe his performance level is down a few percentage points because he misses his friend.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a fixture, making a comparison to his personal situation of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the tragedy. I lived a very similar experience when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the manager when you arrive at the training complex and you find daily that spot vacant. So you must be incredibly resilient. 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 memory triggers are constant. They hear his song in the 20th minute, they notice his unused locker in the changing room. Even during matches, a pass might be made and the realization arises: 'Oh, Jota would have been there.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that everything is far from normal.

The Limits of Punditry and Human Emotion

Having covering football for two decades, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in most analysis. We simply cannot know how an individual is coping at any specific time and how that impacts their performance. Jota's death is one of the clearest illustrations. We know a terrible event occurred, and we comprehend the concept of sorrow. But further lies an intangible level of impact on various individuals at the organization. It is very possible that some of the squad themselves do not fully understand its influence from one day to the next.

How the media reports on this and how fans dissect displays is clearly far from the most important factor. On a practical basis, mentioning Jota's death is challenging to do in a brief soundbite before transitioning to tactical issues. Beyond this particular event and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to preface each critique of a player with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their parental relationships, personal struggles, or relationship problems.

A former pro footballer, the defender, recently talked on a broadcast about how his mother's death midway through his playing days affected his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "Some of the highs and the low points that accompany it no longer felt the same after that." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Final Thought

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool achieve in the coming months—be it success or if it's nothing—even if we don't mention it every time we analyze their matches, and even if it isn't the cause for their eventual outcome, we must remember that a short time ago they lost not merely a brilliant player, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.