Liverpool manager Arne Slot blamed tactical adjustments from opponents for his team’s recent struggles — but after another dismal night at Brentford, the Dutchman must admit the deeper issues lie within his own camp.
The 3–2 scoreline flattered Liverpool. Brentford were superior in every department, and any late rescue would have been daylight robbery. This was Liverpool’s fourth straight Premier League defeat, their worst run since February 2021, and proof that the champions’ decline has reached crisis level.
Slot pointed to the volume of long balls and deep defensive setups his side have faced as reasons for the dip, yet his team once again collapsed to familiar failings — disorganised defending, passive midfield play, and an attack starved of rhythm and invention.
The warning signs came early. Just five minutes in, Michael Kayode’s long throw exposed Liverpool’s vulnerability, with Dango Ouattara turning in Kristoffer Ajer’s flick for Brentford’s opener. From there, the hosts dominated, slicing through the Reds with unsettling ease.
Mikkel Damsgaard’s perfectly weighted through-ball set up Kevin Schade for a composed second, before Virgil van Dijk’s reckless foul on Ouattara led to Igor Thiago’s penalty that effectively sealed the result. Mohamed Salah’s late strike offered false hope, but the damage was long done.
Brentford, under the increasingly impressive Keith Andrews, were organised, clinical, and full of belief. Liverpool, meanwhile, were a shadow of the side that stormed to the title last season. They have now lost as many league games this term as they did in the entirety of their championship campaign — joining Leicester (2016–17), Liverpool (2020–21), and Manchester City (2023–24) as reigning champions to suffer four consecutive league defeats.
The defensive frailties are glaring. Since May, Liverpool have conceded two or more goals in nine league matches — more than any other side in that period. They’ve already shipped 14 goals in nine games, a total they didn’t reach until matchday 16 last season.
Van Dijk’s partnership with the struggling Milos Kerkez looked uneasy, the pair exchanging frustrated glances as Brentford repeatedly found space down their flank. In midfield, there was no control, no bite.
Record signing Florian Wirtz, fresh off a bright Champions League display in Frankfurt, squandered a golden chance before being substituted for Joe Gomez late on — a damning verdict from Slot on his summer recruit. The home fans’ chants of “what a waste of money” stung all the more for their accuracy.
Elsewhere, Hugo Ekitike — one of the few positives from the summer’s €450m rebuild — was isolated and ineffective, starved of service with Alexander Isak and Ryan Gravenberch still sidelined.
After the match, Slot offered a blunt assessment to BBC Match of the Day:
“It was a disappointing result and a disappointing performance. Conceding three goals is far too much. The first came from a set-piece, the second from a counter — things Brentford do well. We didn’t do the basics right.”
That admission may prove the turning point. With Crystal Palace (Carabao Cup) and Aston Villa up next at Anfield, followed by daunting clashes against Real Madrid and Manchester City, Slot has little time to steady a sinking ship.
Liverpool still possess elite talent, but they lack structure, cohesion, and confidence. The much-hyped rebuild under Slot is yet to yield progress. For now, the so-called “blip” looks more like a full-blown crisis — one only the manager himself can fix.
If Arsenal defeat Crystal Palace on Sunday, the gap could widen to seven points, deepening the gloom at Anfield and forcing Slot to confront an uncomfortable truth: Liverpool’s biggest problems are of their own making.
