Liverpool Q&A RECAP: Can Jurgen Klopp's side challenge for the Premier League title? And are the club expected to be busy in January? Lewis Steele tells us more

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Follow Mail Sport's live blog as Lewis Steele answers all the big questions regarding Liverpool.

That's all for this week, folks!

Thanks for Lewis Steele for his time and thank you for tuning in.

Be sure to check back in with us next week for all things Liverpool.

Mail Sport will also be asking our other resident experts on Arsenal, Tottenham, England, Manchester United and Aston Villa this afternoon so keep an eye out for those live Q&A blogs!

Take care and enjoy the rest of your day!

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It was only a few weeks ago we were asking about where Nunez fits in the team given Gakpo's importance, but now the tables have turned! Does Gakpo regain his starting spot over the in-form Nunez?

LEWIS STEELE: Cody Gakpo has been unlucky this season in that Darwin Nunez's red-hot streak coincided with the Dutchman getting a knee injury that saw him miss about a month of action.

Gakpo went into the campaign as the undisputed first-choice No 9 due to being better at the defensive side of the game to Nunez.

But the Uruguayan has since improved markedly in that aspect and also added goals, with Gakpo now seemingly the second-choice option.

What Gakpo has in his favour is that he can play in several positions, all across the front line but also in midfield.

With games coming thick and fast between now and Christmas, I think he will find a way back into the team. But for now, Nunez is one of the first names on the team-sheet.

KIRKBY, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 19: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on October 19, 2023 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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Florian Wirtz has been linked with a move to Liverpool - could he be a potential target for the Reds?

LEWIS STEELE: There's no concrete interest yet in Florian Wirtz but that doesn't mean he is not on Liverpool's radar. They look at a lot of players.

Reports in Germany suggest this one is a lot more advanced than it is. He's a great player and his statistics are excellent, with Xabi Alonso helping find a new level to his game.

It's one to watch in the future but nothing happening yet.

epa10947986 Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates after scoring the 1-0 goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and SC Freiburg in Leverkusen, Germany, 29 October 2023. EPA/CHRISTOPHER NEUNDORF CONDITIONS - ATTENTION: The DFL regulations prohibit any use of photographs as image sequences and/or quasi-video.
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One issue that was highlighted recently was Liverpool were losing plenty of duels in midfield - is it a case of not having a proper No 6 or are the current midfielders not doing enough?

LEWIS STEELE: Well they have Wataru Endo, who I think has not been able to show his true self so far in a Liverpool shirt.

Alexis Mac Allister was suspended for the visit of Brentford and he has had a topsy-turvy season in the No 6 position.

At times, he has looked world-class as he punches passes through the lines as a deep-lying playmaker. But in some of the bigger games, the World Cup winner has not looked up to it defensively.

I would question whether Liverpool can win the league without a quality No 6. You look back through the archives and find most title winners have a solid option in there, be it Rodri, N'Golo Kante, Claude Makelele or even Fabinho at Liverpool.

I would say let's see how Endo develops between now and Christmas. I think it's also worth adding how much they miss Curtis Jones, who is vastly underrated.

When he plays, he helps cover a lot of ground and is a big addition to the defensive and pressing side of their game. He has been missing recently after a three-match ban followed by a minor hamstring injury.

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The defeat by Toulouse felt like the first time this season Klopp has been really irritated by a performance. They bounced back against Brentford, so was it just an anomaly?

LEWIS STEELE: At the end of the day, no matter the strength of the opponent, these European away trips are always tricky.

It felt like an FA Cup tie, because it was clearly one of the biggest matches in the history of Toulouse.

You could probably say the same for Luton, with that feeling like a minnow giving all they have against one of the big boys.

There were problems highlighted in the Toulouse defeat that were worrying for Liverpool, such as a lack of aggression in midfield.

But Jurgen Klopp's comments will have got a positive reaction from the fringe players and I'm sure we won't see them sink to defeat in such a meagre way again.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by JEAN CATUFFE/DPPI/Shutterstock (14202543o) Coach of Liverpool Jurgen Klopp during the UEFA Europa League, Group E football match between Toulouse FC and Liverpool FC on November 9, 2023 at the Stadium in Toulouse, France - Photo Jean Catuffe / DPPI FOOTBALL - EUROPA LEAGUE - TOULOUSE v LIVERPOOL, , Toulouse, France - 09 Nov 2023
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Will Liverpool be targeting anyone in the January window? If so, what positions are they prioritising?

LEWIS STEELE: I was told last week that rumours linking Liverpool with Brazilian midfielder Andre Trindade were not as clear-cut as they seemed.

Therefore, sorry to say Liverpool fans, I think it'll be a quiet January in terms of incomings.

That could change of course, especially if there was an injury to a key player, but I'm not expecting too much movement.

Young players have stepped up so far this season to make up the numbers in the squad - Ben Doak and Jarell Quansah especially - and Jurgen Klopp has been left pleasantly surprised by their development.

Because of that, I don't think Liverpool are in a rush to sign anyone.

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What lessons will Liverpool have taken from Chelsea's 4-4 draw with Man City? A trip to the champions is up next after the international break, so what do you expect will happen in the game?

LEWIS STEELE: Liverpool will have learned - if they didn't know already - that Manchester City are beatable.

I was surprised at just how non-existent City's midfield was in the draw at Chelsea. With more clinical finishing, Chelsea could have easily won that match.

With Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and Co in red-hot form, they will certainly fancy their chances to score at City. It's whether they can contain the likes of Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, plus the new star-boy Jeremy Doku.

It's going to be another blockbuster clash and it could go either way. But I do think Liverpool need to get a point at least if they are to challenge for the title.

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Welcome Lewis! First up, I don't think there's any better place to start than the return of Luis Diaz's father after he was kidnapped for 12 days in what was a horror ordeal - what's the Liverpool camp been like following his return to safe hands?

LEWIS STEELE: The last three weeks have highlighted the unity in the Liverpool camp. Many players visited Luis Diaz at his English home over the course of the tough period when his father was missing, and the club will continue to check up on the Colombian's welfare in the aftermath.

It was admirable that the player continued to play on during the time and that showed his dedication to the club.

But overall the mood going into the international break was good, with Liverpool able to move swiftly on from the defeat in Toulouse and draw at Luton with a convincing display and victory over Brentford.

This photo released by Colombia's Football Federation shows Liverpool soccer player Luis Diaz, left, reuniting with his father Luis Manuel Díaz, days after his father was released from his kidnappers, in Barranquilla, Colombia, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. The soccer player's father was kidnapped in northern Colombia by a unit of a guerrilla group in late October and released the previous week week. (Colombia Football Federation via AP)
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LEWIS STEELE will be with us in FIVE minutes

He'll be with us until 1pm so make sure you don't miss it!

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Feel free to comment down below or contact Lewis through his social channels, which you can find by clicking on the title of this post above!

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Liverpool are just a point behind the champions after 12 matches and will go to Manchester full of confidence after a thumping win over rentfordon Sunday. And captain Van Dijk says there is still so much to play for, with the Reds still competing on four fronts.

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Liverpool's frontline of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota have managed 18 goals and four assists between them this season - but are they the most potent trio in the top-flight?

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No better place to start than a positive ending to what was a horror ordeal for Luis Diaz.

The Liverpool forward was finally reunited with his dad, who was kidnapped at gun-point back in Colombia before being released after 12 days.

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LEWIS STEELE, our resident Liverpool expert, will be with us at 12pm to answer your questions.

There's still time to get them in and you can do so in the comments below or on our social channels

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Good morning!

Good morning and welcome to the latest edition of our Premier League Q+A with our experts.

The focus of this live blog will be Liverpool, but we'll also have Q+A sessions with reporters on England, Arsenal, Tottenham, Man United and Aston Villa later this afternoon so make sure you tune in for those.

Key Updates
  • 12:55

    It was only a few weeks ago we were asking about where Nunez fits in the team given Gakpo's importance, but now the tables have turned! Does Gakpo regain his starting spot over the in-form Nunez?

    View post

  • 12:50

    Florian Wirtz has been linked with a move to Liverpool - could he be a potential target for the Reds?

    View post

  • 12:46

    One issue that was highlighted recently was Liverpool were losing plenty of duels in midfield - is it a case of not having a proper No 6 or are the current midfielders not doing enough?

    View post

  • 12:37

    The defeat by Toulouse felt like the first time this season Klopp has been really irritated by a performance. They bounced back against Brentford, so was it just an anomaly?

    View post

  • 12:24

    Will Liverpool be targeting anyone in the January window? If so, what positions are they prioritising?

    View post

  • 12:16

    What lessons will Liverpool have taken from Chelsea's 4-4 draw with Man City? A trip to the champions is up next after the international break, so what do you expect will happen in the game?

    View post

  • 12:04

    Welcome Lewis! First up, I don't think there's any better place to start than the return of Luis Diaz's father after he was kidnapped for 12 days in what was a horror ordeal - what's the Liverpool camp been like following his return to safe hands?

    View post

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