There have been some wild theories floating around in recent weeks that Liverpool, despite all of their travails, remained a team ready to thrive in the Champions League.
Such thinking was exposed to be as flimsy as Arne Slot’s back line. Crisis has now infected every aspect of their season.
Their latest humiliating capitulation to PSV Eindhoven proved as shambolic as it was squalid with Anfield emptying at a rapid rate between the third and fourth goals.
After suffering their second-heaviest home European defeat, Liverpool ended the night in 13th place in the standings — they are 12th in the Premier League — and with testing away games at Inter Milan and Marseille to follow, their progress deeper into the competition can no longer be taken for granted.
Nor Slot’s capacity to come out the other side of such an abject slump.
Liverpool’s hierarchy have been supportive and understanding of what change meant following a summer of big spending that was also framed by tragedy with the death of Diogo Jota.
Yet they are not stupid. This is a club that cannot keep losing matches when they need to be in this competition next season and certainly not in the manner in which they are when performances are bereft of any redeeming qualities and beset by structural issues. The pressure will intensify from here.
With Liverpool’s title bid in tatters, Slot’s side are now 13th in the Champions League table
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Boos had greeted the final whistle before songs of defiance briefly erupted, but Slot cannot expect backing from the stands when he appears a coach with no answers for problems that rear wherever he looks.
That in itself is remarkable, of course, as it is seven months today since Liverpool won the Premier League title with a 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur for only the second time in 35 years.
The tailspin of late is as extraordinary as it is excruciating and, worryingly, shows no signs of stopping but rather it is accelerating. Liverpool have now conceded three or more goals in three successive games for the first time since September 1992.
It is no longer about new signings struggling to bed in, but an entire squad malfunctioning before everyone’s eyes, unable to carry out the basics, although to finish with a back four comprising two midfielders in Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch alongside Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez speaks to the extent of the malaise.
Van Dijk inexplicably raised his hand before handling the ball…
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…and Perisic calmly dispatched the penalty
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER BRADLEY ORMESHER
Liverpool were wide open in the second half especially, vulnerable every time PSV looked to raid forward, and all opponents they are due to face in the coming weeks will take huge encouragement from that. Long balls no longer need to be the weapon of choice to disorientate a team in freefall.
Slot’s admission on the eve of this match that he is “almost confused” by what has been happening was not a surprise and just reflected what has been evident. He is struggling to influence matters from the sidelines and to watch the first five minutes unfold here was to wonder what Liverpool have been doing since subsiding so feebly against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
No one showed to take a pass from goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, a replacement for Alisson who was ill, challenges were missed and two corners were conceded for a team that cannot cope under the pressure of set pieces. To describe that passage as appalling when this group supposedly had a point to prove would be an understatement.
Liverpool were angry not to be given a penalty when Ekitike was bundled over in the box…
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…the forward was forced off with a back spasm in the second half
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER BRADLEY ORMESHER
It was from the second corner that Van Dijk channelled his inner LeBron James and inexplicably handled, his complaints that he had been fouled by Jerdy Schouten rightfully waved away. Ivan Perisic dispatched the spot kick.
Individual errors remained a theme throughout and, by the end, confidence had drained from almost everyone.
Utilising Jones at right back rather than Dominik Szoboszlai was supposed to be a solution and served as belated recognition that the latter’s energy was too important to sacrifice in midfield.
The switch allowed him to be in the right place at the right time when equalising within ten minutes, although PSV goalkeeper Matej Kovar was unimpressive in pushing Cody Gakpo’s shot straight to Szoboszlai. It was Liverpool’s 500th goal in Europe’s premier club competition and for a spell they appeared more assured.
Liverpool have now lost three games in a row by three goals or more for the first time since 1953
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER BRADLEY ORMESHER
Van Dijk saw a header hit the crossbar from Mohamed Salah’s corner and Hugo Ekitike’s quick feet brought a smart save low down from Kovar.
Ekitike had been included ahead of £125 million British record signing Alexander Isak, but a back spasm for Ekitike at the start of the second half forced them to swap places. By then, Liverpool were behind again. Mauro Junior cut inside Salah and then, from in his own half, sped away before threading an exquisite pass which Guus Til met emphatically before Kerkez.
As the Dutch side celebrated, the eye was drawn to Salah hoisting his shirt over his head. Rather than asking why he did not track back, the key is whether he could have — or are his struggles symptoms of a deeper malaise?
Liverpool had a chance to equalise when Gakpo headed Szoboszlai’s cross over but from there everything unravelled. Ibrahima Konaté had started because Joe Gomez has had painkilling injections in his knee, but came up with his obligatory mistake when misjudging a ball. Substitute Ricardo Pepi struck the post and another sub, Couhaib Driouech, followed up before rounding off another slick move in stoppage time as the home side were undressed and Slot was humbled.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): G Mamardashvili — C Jones, I Konaté (F Chiesa 76min), V van Dijk, M Kerkez — R Gravenberch, A Mac Allister — M Salah, D Szoboszlai, C Gakpo — H Ekitiké (A Isak 61). Booked Van Dijk.
PSV Eindhoven (4-4-2): M Kovar — S Dest, J Schouten, Y Gasiorowski, A Salah-Eddine — D Man (E Bajraktarevic 89), M Júnior, J Veerman, I Perisic (C Driouech 70) — I Saibari, G Til (R Pepi 70).
Referee A Hernández Hernández (Sp).