Liverpool Plunges into Crisis as Klopp Faces Mounting Pressure
Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest was a catastrophic collapse for Liverpool, signaling a dramatic shift from last season’s title triumph to a full-blown crisis. What many had hoped was a minor blip under Arne Slot’s stewardship has instead become a glaring problem, exposing fragilities across the squad and placing intense pressure on the Dutch manager.
Chairman Tom Werner witnessed the disaster unfold at Anfield, where Forest delivered a clinical performance that left Liverpool fans and pundits stunned. “How bad that is difficult to measure but it was very bad,” Slot admitted. “Playing at home, losing 3-0 no matter which team you face is a very, very bad result.”
While Slot’s position is not under immediate threat—given his successes following Jurgen Klopp’s departure—the pressures of Premier League management are unforgiving. Losing six of seven league games is a scenario Liverpool rarely faces; in fact, the Reds have matched that poor record only once in their past 58 seasons. Their home form is equally concerning, with two defeats in three league matches, matching losses across the previous 53 home games.
Liverpool’s Anfield Nightmare: From Champions to Crisis in Record Time
The aura of invincibility that characterized Liverpool last season has vanished. This season, their vulnerabilities are laid bare. Even with a £450 million investment in new signings, the team appears weaker than last year, a reality Slot and the recruitment team will need to explain. Former Arsenal and England defender Martin Keown told BBC Sport: “The wheels are coming off now for Arne Slot. It was Jurgen Klopp’s team, and he has spent £450m on players, yet they are going backwards.”
Slot himself acknowledged the collapse, telling Match of the Day: “Another big disappointment. We started well for the first half-hour, then conceded the first goal and weren’t able to play the way we did initially. If things go well or bad, it’s my responsibility. We weren’t able to create enough. I tried to adjust a few things, but it didn’t work out.”
A stark symbol of Liverpool’s current malaise is Alexander Isak. Signed for a British record £125 million from Newcastle United, Isak has struggled to find form amid injuries and a sluggish start. Against Forest, he was peripheral and ineffective, eventually replaced by Federico Chiesa in the 68th minute, a move that barely registered surprise among the disheartened crowd. Even Mohamed Salah, often a lightning rod for criticism, was one of the few players able to walk off with his head held high.
The tactical gambles Slot employed highlighted the desperation at Anfield. In an attempt to salvage the match, he replaced defender Ibrahima Konate with striker Hugo Ekitike after 55 minutes—a move that reeked of a shot in the dark. The team’s decline since last season has been shocking for long-time observers, with the £116 million signing Florian Wirtz yet to score or assist in the Premier League, sidelined for much of the campaign.
The statistics are grim: this is only the second time Liverpool have lost six of their first twelve Premier League games, a dubious record last seen in 2014-15. They are only the fourth reigning Premier League champions to start a season with six defeats in twelve games, alongside Blackburn Rovers (1995-96), Chelsea (2015-16), and Leicester City (2016-17). Liverpool have not suffered consecutive home league defeats by three or more goals since 1965 under Bill Shankly.
Defensive frailties have been exposed repeatedly, with nine league goals conceded from set-pieces already matching last season’s total. Forest’s opener, a simple corner finished by Murillo, exemplified the Reds’ lack of organization and intensity. Attempts at a second-half revival were fleeting and ineffective, with Nicola Savona’s goal less than a minute after kick-off in the second half further demoralizing the Kop. Morgan Gibbs-White’s late strike sealed the outcome as fans quietly exited, acknowledging a game already lost.
Liverpool’s once-revered intensity and resilience have all but disappeared. What was automatic under Klopp—heart, determination, and late comebacks—is now in short supply. Slot faces a colossal challenge: defending the Premier League title is already unrealistic. With Liverpool 11th in the table and eight points behind leaders Arsenal, even securing Champions League qualification will require a significant turnaround.
Anfield’s nightmare is a sobering reminder of football’s brutal nature. Success can evaporate quickly, and the pressures on Slot are mounting with every passing match. Finding solutions is urgent; failure risks a season defined not by last year’s glory, but by a dramatic fall from grace.
Source- BBC
