The NBA might be in its depth era, but star power still wins the day.

In a sport in which only five players take the floor for each team at a time, a concentration of stars has been a clear way to build a championship-level team.

But even when a team doesn’t have a trio of ready-made stars, looking at the top three players on each roster is a good way to measure both the short- and long-term health of an organization and where a franchise is headed over the next few months and next few years.

With that rubric in mind, we not only have laid out the cores of all 30 NBA teams, but also ranked them in comparison to one another. And we’ve done so by taking into account both the group’s present and future value — along with the likelihood that these players will be with their respective teams for the medium to long term.

Jump to a tier:
A league of their own | Knocking on the door
Best of the East | Ascendant young teams
Gap Years | Old stars with big questions
Changing the course | Stuck in the middle
Starting a rebuild | Rebuilding

Tier 1: A league of their own

Oklahoma City Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams

Who else could be atop this list? Not only did the Thunder win 68 games and their first championship last season, but they also did so with one of the youngest title-winning rosters in NBA history. Then, to cap things off, general manager Sam Presti went out this summer and proceeded to lock all three of his young cornerstones into long-term contract extensions — officially cementing the Thunder as the perennial favorites to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the foreseeable future.

Last year: Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, Williams

Tier 2: Knocking on the door

Denver Nuggets: Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray

Denver is a pair of rough Western Conference semifinal Game 7s — blowing a 20-point lead at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves two years ago before playing with an injured Gordon against the Thunder last season — from having a potential chance at ripping off three straight titles. Denver still has the best player in the sport in Nikola Jokic, though, and a pair of co-stars who fit extremely well alongside him in Murray and Gordon. They both have delivered repeatedly in huge playoff moments.

Last year: Gordon, Jokic, Murray

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Is Nikola Jokic the best player in the NBA?

The “NBA Today” crew discusses a preseason poll naming Nikola Jokic the best player in the NBA.

Tier 3: Best of the East

Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley

The Cavaliers, like the Thunder, have a trio of prime-age or younger stars locked into long-term contracts and a team that won 64 games last season. Unlike the Thunder, however, Cleveland was unable to follow it with playoff success, losing in five games to the Indiana Pacers in the second round. That is why the Cavaliers are placed here and not even higher up this list. A strong playoff run next spring, and that will quickly change.

Last year: Garland, Mitchell, Mobley

New York Knicks: OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns

New York enters the season having moved on from coach Tom Thibodeau after reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years — a clear indication that the Knicks believe this group is good enough to finally snap a half-century championship drought. Brunson and Towns are two of the best offensive point guards and centers, respectively, in the league, while Anunoby is as good as any defender on the wing on top of becoming an excellent 3-point shooter, too.

Last year: Anunoby, Brunson, Towns

Tier 4: Ascendant young teams

Atlanta Hawks: Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher

For the second straight season, the Hawks have the same trio leading the way, all while the franchise has undergone a rapid and fascinating reimagining of the roster by newly installed general manager Onsi Saleh. Trae Young remains this team’s best player. Kristaps Porzingis could be its second. And yet, both players are able to be unrestricted free agents next summer. Meanwhile Daniels was last season’s Most Improved Player, Johnson — if he can stay healthy — is a popular breakout candidate and Risacher, although no Cooper Flagg or Victor Wembanyama, had a fine rookie season after Atlanta selected him No. 1 in the 2024 draft.

Last year: Daniels, Johnson, Risacher

Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham, Ron Holland, Ausar Thompson

A year ago, there were massive questions about the Pistons’ roster. They began with Cunningham, and whether he was capable of being the kind of star leader a franchise needs to become a factor in the playoffs. Cunningham responded with a brilliant campaign, earning All-Star and All-NBA honors for the first time while leading Detroit back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Questions remain about the rest of the roster, but there are several intriguing young players such as Holland, Thompson, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, who could all fill the remaining core spots around Cunningham.

Last year: Cunningham, Holland, Ivey

Houston Rockets: Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson

A lot has changed in Houston over the past year. Thompson was a very near miss from inclusion in this group a year ago, and in hindsight that was an obvious mistake. The No. 4 pick in the 2023 NBA draft continues to blossom into a star and has a chance to take another massive leap forward this season due to the unfortunate torn ACL for Fred VanVleet last month during preseason workouts. Although I’m sure you’re thinking, “No Kevin Durant? Really?” remember the purpose of this list. Durant remains — at least for now — without a contract extension, and Sheppard could be the team’s starting point guard this season and remains a key player for Houston long term.

Last year: Sengun, Sheppard, VanVleet

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Perk: The Rockets are going to be the NBA’s best offensive team

Kendrick Perkins breaks down his optimism for the Rockets’ offense after an impressive performance vs. the Jazz.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle

After advancing out of the first round of the playoffs once in its first 34 years of existence, Minnesota has now done so in back-to-back seasons, reaching the Western Conference finals before losing to the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively. The question now is how Minnesota will find a way to advance further — especially with the Thunder looming over the West moving forward. The answer will begin with continued improvement from Edwards and McDaniels. Randle moves into the core after inking a long-term extension with the franchise this offseason.

Last year: Edwards, McDaniels, Rudy Gobert

Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner

Orlando’s season going sideways last year when Jalen Suggs suffered a knee injury is a sign of just how important he is — despite the fact that he, unlike Banchero and Wagner, is not on a max contract. But Orlando paid a king’s ransom to land Bane — a perfect complement to its three young homegrown players — this summer, and Suggs is still sidelined with the knee injury, so Bane moves into the core for this group. The Magic’s season will likely hinge on whether Banchero and Wagner can make improvements in their efficiency this season — which, if they can, could lead to huge success in a wide-open East.

Last year: Banchero, Suggs, Wagner

San Antonio Spurs: De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Victor Wembanyama

How do you get picked fourth and win Rookie of the Year, as Stephon Castle did last season, and fall out of a team’s core? By that same team trading for an All-Star point guard (Fox) and drafting another (Harper) with the second pick after jumping up in the lottery, as the Spurs did over the past few months. How all of these different players fit around the one certain core player in San Antonio for the foreseeable future, Wembanyama, will be one of the big stories of the upcoming NBA season.

Last year: Wembanyama, Castle, Devin Vassell

Tier 5: Gap years

Boston Celtics: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White

A year ago, Boston was coming off raising banner No. 18 to the TD Garden rafters and looked poised to have a real chance at claiming a 19th title. Then came Tatum’s unfortunate torn Achilles in May against the Knicks in the conference semifinals. Now, Boston is likely to spend this season spinning its wheels waiting for Tatum to get back and give this group a chance to potentially be back in the title fight again in 2026-27. Until then, though, Brown and White will still remain two of the better wing players in the NBA, and the envy of most of the opponents they’ll come up against this season.

Last year: Brown, Tatum, White

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Jayson Tatum: ‘I haven’t said I’m not playing this season’

Jayson Tatum tells Stephen A. Smith he hasn’t ruled out playing this season and has spoken to Tyrese Haliburton about them both suffering with an Achilles injury.

Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam

Entering Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Indiana was likely going to be right near the top of this list after a remarkable playoff run that featured a series of historic comebacks fueled by the style of play coach Rick Carlisle and Haliburton have employed in Indianapolis. But after Haliburton suffered an Achilles tear in that final game of the 2024-25 campaign, the Pacers are also staring at a long 12 months until his likely return at the start of next season. One silver lining? Although Bennedict Mathurin fell out of the team’s core thanks to the emergence of Nembhard, who had another brilliant playoff run, Haliburton’s absence could give the former lottery pick a chance to reestablish himself with the Pacers.

Last year: Haliburton, Siakam, Mathurin

Tier 6: Old stars with big questions

Dallas Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving


Things are drastically different in Dallas compared to a year ago, when the Mavericks had Luka Doncic and Irving together in a backcourt that was coming off an NBA Finals appearance. Now, Irving has a torn ACL, Doncic is in Los Angeles and — after a stunning bit of lottery luck — Flagg is the star of the show, playing alongside Davis in the Mavericks’ frontcourt. It’s all pretty hard to believe, even months after it all took place. Still, Dallas could have a chance to be a factor this season — but that will require Flagg to instantly contribute, Davis to remain healthy and Irving to come back from his knee injury ready to go by playoff time.

Last year: Irving, Doncic, Dereck Lively

Golden State Warriors: Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green

Last season, the Warriors went 22-5 with Butler and Curry both available after acquiring Butler at the trade deadline from the Miami Heat, and they feel they’d have advanced to the Western Conference finals if they hadn’t lost Curry for the rest of the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a hamstring injury. There’s little doubt this team has a very high ceiling — if healthy. But given their core is all 35 or older, the “if healthy” question is going to follow this group around all season long.

Last year: Curry, Green, Brandin Podziemski

LA Clippers: James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac

The Clippers had a very productive offseason, going out and landing John Collins, Brook Lopez, Bradley Beal and Chris Paul, and should get strong seasons from both Harden and Zubac. Questions about Leonard — both on and off the court — hang over this team like a lead balloon, however. Can Leonard, who has missed just over 40% of the possible games he could’ve played for the Clippers over the past six seasons, and played just 37 last season, stay healthy? And, with the investigation into potential cap circumvention ongoing, will that cause any issues for him and the Clippers? Only time will tell on both fronts.

Last year: Harden, Leonard, Zubac

Los Angeles Lakers: Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves

The Lakers — fairly — believe a team led by Doncic and James can contend with anyone. However, that requires both players to be healthy. And with James already dealing with a sciatica problem that threatens the start of his season for the first time in his remarkable career — plus his status as the league’s oldest player, who is approaching his 41st birthday — health is going to be a constant question. And that’s before the potential shooting issues, as well as the perimeter and interior defensive concerns for this team.

Last year: James, Reaves, Anthony Davis

Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Myles Turner

As ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last week, Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee is a much-discussed — and planned-for — topic around the NBA. But as the season approaches, he remains a Buck, and he should be an MVP candidate this season if he remains healthy given how much he’s going to have the ball in his hands. Although Turner slots in for Brook Lopez as the floor-spacing center in the core, the drop-off from Damian Lillard — now back in Portland — to Portis (or Kyle Kuzma or AJ Green or whomever you choose for the third person to be) is massive and shows why it could be a challenging year in Milwaukee, even with a healthy Antetokounmpo terrorizing opponents.

Last year: Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Lopez

Tier 7: Changing the course

Memphis Grizzlies: Cedric Coward, Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant

Here’s all you need to know about the state of things in Memphis: Jackson is recovering from offseason surgery; Morant is now likely to miss the start of the season with an ankle sprain; Zach Edey is also recovering from offseason surgery; and both Jaylen Wells, No. 3 in last season’s Rookie of the Year balloting, and Coward, whom Memphis leapt up in the draft to take at No. 11 this past June, ended last season hurt. The Desmond Bane trade reconstituted the Grizzlies’ roster — Memphis subsequently placed a big bet on Coward — but this team can still go only as far as Morant and Jackson can take it. This is also another reminder of how fast things can change in the NBA, as it wasn’t long ago that Morant-Jackson-Bane was seen as one of the elite, young cornerstone foundations in the league.

Last year: Morant, Jackson, Bane

Philadelphia 76ers: VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey

Questions? In Philadelphia? Never! Jokes aside, obviously the elephant in the room is the health of Embiid, let alone that of Paul George. If the two of them can stay on the court this season, Philadelphia could be a factor in the East. But there’s no certainty of when, or how often, we will see the two 76ers stars out there. George, meanwhile, is in the second year of a max extension that he signed as a free agent last summer, but he falls out of the core this season in favor of Edgecombe, the third pick in June’s draft.

Last year: Embiid, Maxey, George

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Shams Charania expects Erik Spoelstra to coach Team USA for multiple cycles

Shams Charania joins “The Pat McAfee Show” to discuss Erik Spoelstra being named the head coach for Team USA men’s basketball.

Tier 8: Stuck in the middle

Chicago Bulls: Matas Buzelis, Noa Essengue, Josh Giddey

This is a franchise perpetually stuck in the mud. One could argue the Bulls should be in a lower tier than this — but that would be saying the Bulls are definitely going to be committed to bottoming out and rebuilding. History suggests they will win 38 or 39 games and be in the play-in — which, in this season’s East, is very possible. After signing a long-term deal this offseason, Giddey is a core player. Coby White, although the team’s best player, is not as he enters the season on an expiring deal. Instead, the No. 12 pick in this year’s draft, Essengue, is one alongside Buzelis, last year’s No. 11 pick.

Last year: Giddey, White, Patrick Williams

Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware

The Heat are not a team accustomed to being stuck anywhere, but that’s where they seem to be after yet another play-in finish last season. With Butler now having decamped to Golden State, the Heat are officially on the hunt for their next long-term star to pair with Adebayo. Perhaps that player is Herro, if he can make another big leap after a great season earned him his first All-Star berth. Ware, too, has a lot of promise as a super-active, long defensive big. But this team needs more if it’s going to leap out of the doldrums — even in the East.

Last year: Adebayo, Herro, Jimmy Butler

Sacramento Kings: Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis

The seven-game series against the Warriors in the first round of the 2023 playoffs feels like a decade ago now. De’Aaron Fox is now in San Antonio, Mike Brown is now in New York, and the Kings have morphed into a bizarro version of the Chicago Bulls with LaVine and DeMar DeRozan back together again. Murray is likely to get an extension done with Sacramento in the coming days, but he’s the one long-term bright spot on this roster despite missing the first several weeks of the upcoming season with a thumb injury. The rest? Either in their prime or aging out of it, and it’s unclear what path this team will take from here.

Last year: Murray, Sabonis, Fox

Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Collin Murray-Boyles

Barnes was guaranteed to be a part of this core after agreeing to a massive max contract extension, but who would be alongside him? It turns out, it’s last season’s big trade deadline acquisition, Ingram, and Toronto’s big offseason acquisition, Murray-Boyles, the No. 9 pick in June’s NBA draft. Still, it’s hard to see the long-term upside of this group to be anything more than what the tail end of the previous Raptors playoff team was: one good enough to make it and lose in a competitive first-round series.

Last year: Barnes, Gradey Dick, Immanuel Quickley

Tier 9: Starting a rebuild

Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller

The Hornets, now in their second full season under general manager Jeff Peterson and coach Charles Lee, will hope to see their collection of interesting young talent on the court far more often this season, after a number of injuries — including to Ball and Miller — precluded it last season. What the injury woes did do, however, was give the Hornets the chance to land Knueppel with the fourth pick in June’s draft. He should be a perfect complement alongside Ball and Miller on the wings. The questions, though, are inside, where Charlotte is back to square one after sending Mark Williams, a core member last season, to Phoenix in June after the failed trade to the Lakers back in February.

Last year: Ball, Miller, Williams

New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, Zion Williamson

Williamson showed up for training camp in great shape for New Orleans, and the Pelicans hope that finally translates into sustained health and high-level play from him this season. But although Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy remain in New Orleans, the man who traded for Murray and drafted and extended Murphy — David Griffin — is not. So, instead, the two lottery picks from the new front office, Fears and Queen, become core members for the Pelicans going forward. Queen will be fascinating to watch given all the attention around the trade the Pelicans made to acquire him, which included giving up an unprotected pick in next year’s loaded draft to Atlanta.

Last year: Williamson, Murray, Murphy

Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker, Ryan Dunn, Khaman Maluach

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, the Suns had a wildly expensive roster built around three big stars — Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Now, Durant and Beal are gone, Booker remains, and the Suns — who have dead money on their books for the rest of the decade and none of their own draft picks under their control for the same time period — are starting a rebuild. There are some interesting young players, led by Dunn and Maluach, but it’s going to take time for Phoenix to turn this around — and the Suns are going to need to show more patience than they have at any point since Mat Ishbia bought the team two-plus years ago.

Last year: Booker, Beal, Durant

Tier 10: Rebuilding

Brooklyn Nets: Nic Claxton, Egor Demin, Nolan Traore

If you need any hint to the direction of the Nets, look no further than June’s NBA draft, when Brooklyn had five first-round picks — and kept all of them, drafting Demin, Traore, guards Drake Powell and Ben Saraf, and big man Danny Wolf. They, along with Noah Clowney, a first-round pick two years ago, are the future in Brooklyn — along with whomever the Nets land in the 2026 draft. Claxton remains a core member because he’s on a long-term deal and, given he’s in his mid-20s, should still be able to rediscover his prior form. Cam Thomas, on the other hand, is not, after he signed the one-year qualifying offer this offseason.

Last year: Claxton, Clowney, Thomas

Portland Trail Blazers: Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe

There are few teams harder to parse in terms of their direction than Portland. The Blazers have a roster full of interesting young talents, such as Clingan, Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Yang Hansen. But then they went out this offseason and traded for Jrue Holiday and re-signed Lillard, who won’t play all season. Will Jerami Grant start? Will Henderson when he comes back from a hamstring injury? Where does Deni Advija, who was arguably the team’s best player last year, fit in the starting five – or does he? There’s just so much noise here that it’s hard to know exactly what Portland’s goals are — which will make for a very fascinating season.

Last year: Clingan, Henderson, Sharpe

Utah Jazz: Ace Bailey, Walter Clayton, Lauri Markkanen

The Jazz, once again, kept the dubious distinction of having never moved up once in the NBA’s draft lottery, causing them to land the fifth pick after having the league’s worst record. Still, they wound up drafting Bailey, who spent all season as a consensus top-three selection, as the first move of Austin Ainge’s tenure as the team’s president of basketball operations. He quickly followed it up by landing Clayton, the national championship-winning point guard, with the No. 18 pick to make him a core player, as well. Walker Kessler, without a contract extension, isn’t one, and Markkanen will look to get back to the form he showed two years ago.

Last year: Markkanen, Keyonte George, Kessler

Washington Wizards: Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr

Another team that had its high lottery hopes dashed in the lottery, the Wizards are once again committed to playing and developing their young talent. That’s why Coulibaly, Sarr and Johnson — their top picks in each of the past three drafts, respectively — remain the top three players in Washington’s core. This season, though, will be about continuing to see who can emerge from the many young players the Wizards have assembled, as they’re now up to 10 players on first-round rookie contracts on their roster.

Last year: Coulibaly, Sarr, Bub Carrington

Levante‘s Karl Etta Eyong has been identified as Robert Lewandowski‘s successor at Barcelona, while Manchester United have joined the clubs wanting to sign Mexico‘s rising star Gilberto Mora. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men’s grades | Women’s grades

TOP STORIES

– AI agent? Ex-Utd prospect used ChatGPT for move
– Sources: Utd set for Mainoo, Zirkzee talks as clubs circle
– Glasner had ‘early’ talks over new Crystal Palace contract

TRENDING RUMORS

– Robert Lewandowski is increasingly likely to leave Barcelona at the end of this season rather than renewing his contract, Diario Sport reports. This is said to be down to the 37-year-old striker’s age, a decline in form and an inability to press at the same pace as his teammates. The Blaugrana are already looking for replacements with Levante’s Karl Etta Eyong being identified as somebody who can compete with Ferran Torres for a starting berth up front — the 21-year-old Cameroon international has already scored four goals and registered one assist in five LaLiga matches since signing from Villarreal in the summer. Lewandowski could look to move elsewhere or retire, but he doesn’t want to go to Saudi Arabia.

– Real Madrid and Manchester United are among the clubs who want to sign Tijuana midfielder Gilberto Mora, according to Calciomercato. The report adds that Inter Milan and Juventus have included the 16-year-old on their list of possible options after scouting him at the Under-20 World Cup. This attention comes despite the fact that the Mexican won’t be allowed to move to Europe until he turns 18. He has already represented Mexico at senior level, winning the Gold Cup.

– Liverpool‘s Joe Gomez is the priority for AC Milan as they aim to sign an experienced centre-back in January, according to Corriere dello Sport. The 28-year-old wants to get more minutes and Igli Tare and Giorgio Furlani will try to make a move happen, but they will move on if a solution can’t be found. The Rossoneri are also looking to renew forward Christian Pulisic‘s contract as “the eyes of half of Europe could soon turn on him”, while Premier League clubs are enquiring about goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Milan will look to renew the contracts of Fikayo Tomori and Alexis Saelemaekers.

– Real Madrid and Valencia are showing the greatest interest in signing Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza, reports Diario Sport, but Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Villarreal, Paris FC and Premier League clubs are also keeping track of the 20-year-old. This comes with Mendoza having impressed for Spain in the Under-20 World Cup after making the step up to La Liga having helped his side earn promotion last season.

– Juventus could reignite their interest in Girona right-back Arnau Martínez in January with full-back being seen as an important position to strengthen in, reports Tuttosport, who add that the Bianconeri have also been closely monitoring Genoa‘s Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Monaco’s Jordan Teze. Juventus have also made enquiries about Bayern Munich left-back Raphaël Guerreiro and are considering a move, as the 31-year-old is unlikely to renew his contract with his current deal expiring in the summer.

EXPERT TAKE

OTHER RUMORS

– Inter Milan see Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi as a possible long-term successor to Yann Sommer. (Rudy Galetti)

– Juventus are looking at Matias Siltanen, but Djurgården want €20m for the 18-year-old midfielder with Bayer Leverkusen and Premier League clubs also interested. (Tuttosport)

– Piotr Zielinski could leave Inter Milan in January, although his salary of €4.5m-per-season could be a stumbling block. (Corriere dello Sport)

– Atlético Madrid are happy with loanee Nico González and plan to make his move from Juventus permanent. They have an option worth €32m plus €1m that becomes an obligation if the winger plays at least 45 minutes in 21 La Liga matches. (Nicolò Schira)

– Negotiations are underway between Juventus and Kenan Yildiz for a contract that could run until 2030. (Calciomercato)

– Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is set to sign a new contract. The Toffees are also looking to extend the deals of James Garner and Vitaliy Mykolenko. (The Times)

– Inter Milan don’t want to let Francesco Esposito leave and are prepared to double the 20-year-old striker’s salary. (LGazzetta dello Sport)

– Bologna are planning to extend 28-year-old winger Riccardo Orsolini‘s contract to 2030. (Corriere dello Sport)

– Crystal Palace chief Steve Parish has admitted that Adam Wharton will want to play Champions League football at some point, whether that is at Selhurst Park or elsewhere. (talkSPORT)

– Inter Milan are closely monitoring Santos teenage forward Robinho Jr., who is the son of former Brazil and AC Milan star Robinho. The Italian club is expected to make an offer in the next transfer window to sign the 17-year-old, whose contract with Santos runs until 2027. (TNT Brasil)

It was a second half that summed up Liverpool’s season.

For a spell, it looked as if Gareth Taylor’s side was on course for the unlikeliest of Anfield victories against the manager’s former club, Manchester City. For an even longer period, it seemed like Liverpool’s defensive doggedness might earn them a precious point to kick-start their stuttering season.

Ultimately, though, it was the same old story for the Reds as a late strike from Aoba Fujino consigned them to a 2-1 defeat that leaves them without a single point in the Women’s Super League (WSL) through five games this term. Extending back to last season, Liverpool have now lost a club-record seven games in a row in the competition, with only West Ham United’s inferior goal difference keeping them off the bottom of the table.

In other words, the club’s current situation is bleak.

It was only two seasons ago that Liverpool looked like a force on the rise, usurping rivals Manchester United to claim a spot in the WSL’s top four. Fast forward to present day, and the Reds look a million miles from being able to compete with Europe’s elite.

It has been a difficult few months for the club, both on and off the pitch. The departure of club-record signing Olivia Smith to Arsenal in the summer drastically weakened Liverpool’s attack, while the delayed nature of Taylor’s appointment — he was only officially announced as head coach in August — left them with little time to adequately reinvest Smith’s £1 million transfer fee into the squad.

The death of former manager Matt Beard last month has also had a profound effect on many associated with the club, with nine of the 11 players that started against City having been signed during his tenure. Still, results have not been good enough, and Liverpool go into next week’s international break with plenty of problems to solve.

Admittedly, it was always going to be a big ask for Taylor — facing City for the first time since he was sacked earlier this year — to mastermind a victory. In the first half, many of his team’s problems were laid bare.

Liverpool goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe was kept busy, making important saves on shots from Vivianne Miedema, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw and Fujino, while offensively the hosts struggled to pose a threat to their visitors. In fact, Liverpool struggled so much in attack that they went into halftime with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.0, having had zero shots and just one touch inside the opposition box, compared to 22 for City. They also saw one of their most creative forces, midfielder Marie Hobinger, forced off the pitch with what looked like a knee injury inside the first 30 minutes.

Taylor’s side did improve dramatically after the break and took the lead when Cornelia Kapocs diverted Ceri Holland’s fine cross past Ayaka Yamashita and into the back of the City net. However, Liverpool led for just 12 minutes before Borggrafe palmed the ball into the path of Iman Beney, who finished with aplomb to draw the visitors level.

From that moment on, it felt like a City winner was inevitable, and it arrived in the 86th minute when Fujino coolly slotted home to continue Liverpool’s wretched Anfield record — they have won just one of their eight WSL matches at the stadium, a 3-1 victory over Manchester United in March.

There was a brief moment of hope right at the death when defender Gemma Bonner thought she had snatched an equalizer in front of the Kop. However, she was promptly flagged offside — a painful reminder of how fine the margins are at the elite level.

“At this moment, we’re not getting what we deserve and it’s tough,” Taylor said after the game. “But it’s fine. I think it’s close to working, it’s close to coming. It takes time. There’s been a lot of change and we’ve got to keep working. Things are obviously tough at the moment because we’ve probably felt a little bit hard done by in some games. Like I said, we’ve changed a lot of things. We’ve been asked to come in and bring a new way and sometimes that takes time.”

Of course, defeats against title-chasing City won’t define Liverpool’s season, but it is clear the Reds are in desperate need of a spark to ignite their campaign. With the club’s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) having invested heavily to repurchase Liverpool men’s former training ground, Melwood, back in 2022, the need for greater financial support is clear — particularly considering that the men’s team spent close to £450 million in the transfer market this summer after winning the Premier League.

Renewed investment is expected in the January window. Until then, Liverpool need to find a way out of their current rut and start climbing the table. If not, it could be a very long season.