5 hours ago
3
ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL // If anyone thought that Arne Slot facing a team from his homeland could offer Liverpool some comforts amid its tricky spell, they couldn't have been more wrong.
Just five minutes into the game, Liverpool went 1-0 down after Virgil van Dijk handled the ball and Ivan Perisic stepped up from the penalty spot. It didn't take long for Dominik Szoboszlai to find an equalizer, though, and from there, the Reds should have been able to press on.
Instead, however, just like at the weekend, they regressed, with Guus Til putting PSV ahead in the second period and Couhaib Driouech adding a third and then a fourth. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.
Van Dijk words not heeded
Speaking to reporters after his team had lost 3-0 on Saturday, captain Van Dijk said it was on the players to find a level of resilience and bounce back.
It wasn't Arne Slot's doing that Liverpool has been in such poor form, he explained, suggesting the coach was being let down by the team. It wasn't anywhere near as abject here during the first half, but the second ran it close.
It felt inevitable that there would be some sort of reaction just a few days after the 3-0 against Nottingham Forest. This was, after all, a defeat that Cody Gakpo admitted was "embarrassing" in the build-up to facing his former side.
But in a bizarre moment, it was Van Dijk who gave away a penalty just a few minutes in. Inexplicably raising his arm as a cross came in, the referee, Alejandro Hernandez, was left with no choice but to point to the spot.
Though he would much rather have seen Liverpool win in an easier manner, the early strike did at least give Liverpool the chance to show a better mentality. Sadly, it didn't show it.
Til put PSV in front again even when Szoboszlai had leveled. Slot, stood on the sideline, was left scratching his head, with the intensity of such a movement only increasing as the third and fourth goals flew in. This was a hefty defeat, not quite from nowhere, but clearly another shock to the system.
Hugo Ekitike injury blow
Hugo Ekitike would be well within his rights to feel aggrieved at missing out on starting as Liverpool lost to Nottingham Forest at the weekend. Here, then, he had a point to prove as he was chosen ahead of Alexander Isak.
On form, even though the Frenchman has tailed off a little of late, he is clearly deserving of his place. The problem is that Isak won't get any fitter if he doesn't play, and, of course, Ekitike limped off with an injury.
The 23-year-old forward linked things well here and looked much more lively than Isak did in his general play. Perhaps, given the need to win games and for the Swede's sharpness to increase, the solution might have been to field both at West Ham on Sunday.
Slot said recently that Isak will have to play a lot to regain match sharpness. With Ekitike surely now a doubt for the next game and beyond, it might prove to be a good job: in terms of selection, because of the injury, that decision has almost certainly been made for him.
Right-back stability needed
With Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong set to be sidelined for another couple of weeks at least, in which time there are several more games to be played, it was Curtis Jones who filled in here.
The Scouse midfielder was the right option to go with for two reasons. Firstly, he did well there and looked relatively solid. Arguably just as importantly, he allowed Dominik Szoboszlai to play in the center.
Between them, they looked like just about the right mix to move forward with. Joe Gomez is another option at full-back, to a degree, but he hasn't trained consistently lately, and it doesn't appear that his fitness can be trusted.
If that is the case, then Jones put in a decent enough audition to stay there. Szoboszlai, certainly, made a difference in his natural role, even if more fixes are required before Liverpool is back to its normal self.
Midfield gaps widening
Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, it would be fair to say, have been below their level from last season in the campaign to date (the former, especially, though he spent a chunk of the summer out injured and missed some crucial preparation time).
Szoboszlai has been the best player in a Liverpool jersey so far this season, but those alongside him in midfield have sometimes been lacking the required intensity and physicality.
Even here, against a less physically demanding opponent, that was true to an extent. Mac Allister lost the ball easily on several occasions and he looked slightly lacking in confidence, it would be fair to say. Gravenberch was better than the Argentine but still not perfect.
With more significant games coming and Jones perhaps required to fill in at the back, that isn't a great sign. The only alternative, really, is the lesser-spotted Wataru Endo. A bit like Isak, then, Mac Allister and Gravenberch might just need to play themselves into some form.
Arne Slot troubles continue
Liverpool should still get through in the Champions League but that is not a given. Next up, it faces Inter Milan, and in this form, it can't be confident of getting a result against anyone.
Slot's side needs to stop the rot as soon as it can. This is now nine defeats in 12 games. "Always look on the bright side of life," sang the PSV fans in the away end.
Liverpool, Arne Slot and his players, you would imagine, will be finding that pretty difficult right now, having lost by three goals in three successive matches. Fixtures with West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds are just around the corner.
English (US) ·