Playing in the Champions League was supposed to give Liverpool a break and lick its wounds. Instead, PSV rubbed salt on the wound, beating the Reds 4-1 at Anfield.
First Half
Liverpool conceded a pair of corners within five minutes, and the second led to a penalty kick goal by Ivan Perisic. It did not take long for the Reds to respond as Dominik Szoboszlai slammed home Cody Gakpo's shot rebound after it was saved in the 16th minute.
Salah put a shot high in the 22nd, and the Reds followed it up with a corner, but the cross was cleared. The match opened up from that point, with Liverpool having the majority of the chances. Salah had a clear goal cleared by a PSV defender, and then his corner kick hit the bar near the half-hour mark.
The Reds continued to tighten the screws as Liverpool peppered the PSV box. Hugo Ekitiké had a shot saved in the 36th minute. Despite all those chances, Liverpool could not find the back of the net, entering the locker room tied at 1-1.
Second Half
Liverpool cleared a corner in the 49th minute as momentum switched after halftime. The visitors turned that momentum into a goal as the leading scorer, Guus Til, found the back of the net in the 56th minute. Liverpool began pushing for an equaliser thanks to numerous corners. Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister forced saves, and Virgil van Dijk put a header over the bar.
Milos Kerkez put a shot just wide in the 76th. Shouts for a penalty went unanswered in the 78th, and Federico Chiesa put another shot wide moments later. Liverpool kept fighting to get back in the game as Alexander Isak forced a save, as did Chiesa. The Reds could not turn that positive play into a goal, though, as they lost 4-1 after another PSV in stoppage time.
Where is the Defence?
This is the third match in a row Liverpool have given up at least three goals in a loss for the third straight game and the fifth time this season. The Reds only gave up 3 goals in a game five times all of last season. Things have to improve for the Reds if they want to stop the bleeding and start moving back up the table
500 Goals
One of the bright spots in the contest was Szoboszlai's strike to tie the match at 1-1 in the first half. It was Liverpool's 500th goal in European competition, but I'm sure the players are more concerned with the recent poor form than records.
A Look At The Table
Even with the loss, Liverpool is in pretty good shape to advance to the next phase of the Champions League. The Reds sit in 9th, and the top 24 out of 36 advance to the next round. If the Reds can sneak into the top 8, they will advance directly to the knockout stages.
LFC Globe Verdict
How bad will it get? I've been watching Liverpool for a long time, and I can't remember a streak this bad as the Reds have lost 10 out of their 12 matches in all competitions. They have too much talent to be in this kind of funk. Some outlets are calling for Slot to be fired. I think that may be a bit drastic, but I do think he may have made too many changes too quickly, and the Reds are lacking cohesion as a result.
Man Of The Match
Dominik Szoboszlai. He always seemed to be in the right spot today, as evidenced by his rebound goal. He also set up many other chances that the Reds could not finish off. He has also been the club's most consistent performer all season.
What's Next
The Reds look to reverse their fortunes as they travel to London to face West Ham on November 30th.
Goals
Liverpool
- Domonik Szoboszlai 16'
PSV
- Ivan Parisic 6' (PK)
- Guus Til 56'
- Couhaib Driouech 73'
- Couhaib Driouech 90+'
Substitutes
Liverpool
- Alexander Isak for Hugo Ekitiké 61'
- Federico Chiesa for Ibrahima Konate 76'
PSV
- Couhaib Driouech for Ivan Parisic 70'
- Ricardo Pepi for Guus Til 70'
- Esmir Bajraktarevic for Dinnis Man 89'