Liverpool trio in Premier League Worst XI of the weekend

The Premier League worst XI features three Liverpool players, which is fun. They were pants against Fulham and Arne Slot had his full-backs to thank for his first away defeat of the season.

As always, match ratings are taken from WhoScored.

GK: Alphonse Areola (West Ham) – 5.53
It was an alright weekend for Premier League goalkeepers. Areola had an error leading to a goal in West Ham’s Desmond against Bournemouth, which sealed his place in between the sticks in the worst XI of the weekend.

RB: Curtis Jones (Liverpool) – 5.44
Some Liverpool fans want Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the team for the rest of the season and are also upset that Curtis Jones is starting right-back in his absence. You can’t have your cake and eat it, guys.

Luckily for them, Conor Bradley returned from injury at Fulham on Sunday and will surely come into the starting XI for the Reds’ next match against West Ham on Sunday.

Jones’ error which led to Fulham’s equaliser was quite unfortunate but there is no doubt he could have done better. His right-back stint ended in disastrous fashion.

CB: Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace) – 5.33
There were some naughty boys at Selhurst Park on Saturday. Guehi was most certainly one who couldn’t channel his passion in the most heated derby in world football.

CB: Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton) – 5.11
There were three red cards in Palace v Brighton and (spoiler alert) all three players are in this week’s worst XI. Brighton did not have enough time to make their player advantage count, with all three players given their marching orders for a second bookable offence.

LB: Andy Robertson (Liverpool) – 5.28
Every Liverpool defender had a shocker against Fulham Both Jones and Robertson committed errors leading to a goal, many would argue Virgil van Dijk did the same and Ibrahima Konate is lucky two centre-backs were sent off in Palace’s win over Brighton, otherwise he would be here.

Jones’ mistake was unfortunate but Robertson’s was pure stupidity. The Scotland captain has played hundreds of games left of a back four and committed a cardinal sin by passing the ball across his defence. It was easily snuffed out – if you can even say that, Robertson passed it straight to him – by Alex Iwobi, who found the back of the net a few seconds later.

This gave Fulham the lead in Arne Slot’s first Premier League defeat away from home as Liverpool head coach.

READ MORE: Seven Liverpool options to replace finished Andy Robertson include Newcastle, Milan defenders

DM: Lesley Ugochukwu (Southampton) – 5.73
What sort of Premier League worst XI has no Southampton players? There is only one this week and it is Chelsea loanee Ugochukwu, whose name will forever be copied and pasted into articles. Szoboszlai, Szczesny, Aubameyang are all fine, but not Ugochukwu. I can’t nail that one down.

The young Frenchman was booked, misplaced eight passes and committed three fouls on another chastening afternoon for him and Saints, this time falling to a Brennan Johnson-inspired Tottenham Hotspur and back down to the Championship in the process.

DM: Edson Alvarez (West Ham) – 5.96
It was a fairly uneventful afternoon for Mexican midfielder Alvarez, which seems to have resulted in a default six out of ten.

AM: Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) – 5.56
Liverpool lost only their second Premier League match of the season and their first since September because too many players had an off day. Even Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo were crap. If anyone can hold their head up after the 3-2 loss it is Alexis Mac Allister, because that was one hell of a goal.

Szoboszlai has been inconsistent since Liverpool shelled out £60million to sign him from RB Leipzig in 2023 but this was one of his worst performances for the club.

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AM: Phil Foden (Manchester City) 5.84
The reigning Premier League Player of the Season, PFA Players’ Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year was anonymous in a dire Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

ST: Anthony Elanga (Nottingham Forest) – 5.87
After his rampaging winner against his former club Manchester United last midweek, Elanga had a miserable evening as Forest were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa.

ST: Eddie Nketiah (Crystal Palace) – 4.61
Nketiah received two yellow cards within ten minutes of coming off the bench in Palace’s derby victory over Brighton. Not ideal.