Virgil van Dijk's absence is having a "psychological" effect on Liverpool and summer signing Thiago Alcantara is slowing their game down, according to John Barnes.
Liverpool have made a stuttering start to the defence of their first league title in three decades, recording nine wins, seven draws and two losses in their opening 18 games.
Jurgen Klopp's men have already dropped more points than they did in the entire 2019-20 campaign, with their latest setback coming against Manchester United on Sunday.
Editors' Picks
The Red Devils maintained top spot in the table after holding the champions to a 0-0 draw at Anfield, and might have even escaped with all three points had Alisson not been at his best to deny Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba in the latter stages of the game.