Liverpool's defensive frailties were brutally exposed in a humiliating 4-1 home defeat to PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night, a result that casts further doubt on manager Arne Slot's future.
Controversial Penalty Sets the Tone
The nightmare began early for the Reds when captain Virgil van Dijk conceded a penalty within the first five minutes. The Dutch defender handled the ball from a PSV corner, with his arm positioned high above his head.
Van Dijk protested vehemently to Spanish referee Alejandro Hernandez, claiming he was being impeded by Jerdy Schouten. However, neither the official nor the Video Assistant Referee was persuaded.
Watching on TNT Sports punditry duty, Liverpool legends Steven Gerrard and Steve McManaman agreed it was the correct call. "I don't think there was enough in it for that kind of reaction. I think the penalty was quite clear," Gerrard stated. McManaman concurred, adding, "It's a penalty, you really can't contest it."
Ivan Perisic calmly converted the spot-kick, sending goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili the wrong way to stun Anfield.
Brief Resurgence Before Collapse
Liverpool did manage to rally before half-time. Cody Gakpo, facing his former club, saw an effort pushed towards Dominik Szoboszlai, who fired into an unguarded net to equalise.
This response offered a glimmer of hope, but it papered over a concerning statistic: this was the ninth time in 12 fixtures that Arne Slot's team had conceded the first goal.
The second half, however, proved catastrophic. Guus Til restored PSV's lead just before the hour mark, initiating a stunning collapse.
Matters worsened considerably when Couhaib Driouech turned in from close range to extend the Dutch side's advantage. Driouech then compounded Liverpool's misery by grabbing his second in added time, sealing a 4-1 victory for the visitors.
Consequences of an Embarrassing Defeat
This result marks Liverpool's third consecutive defeat, leaving the team outside the automatic top-8 qualifying positions in the Champions League.
The performance, particularly the defensive disarray, piles immense pressure on manager Arne Slot. The nature of this loss at Anfield raises serious questions about his ability to steer the team through this turbulent period, with his future now appearing uncertain.
