'Liverpool blip now becomes something deeper'

The show of nan downcast and dejected Mohamed Salah trudging disconnected arsenic Liverpool desperately chased an equaliser against Manchester United was an ominous awesome of their existent struggles.

If location was 1 subordinate successful caller Anfield history who would beryllium backed to conjure up a match-saving infinitesimal of magic it is 'The Egyptian King', nan spearhead of each Liverpool's caller successes.

And yet location was Salah, replaced by Jeremie Frimpong moments aft Harry Maguire had headed what proved to beryllium Manchester United's 84th-minute victor successful a 2-1 triumph, their first astatine Anfield for much than a decade.

It inflicted Liverpool's 4th successive loss, their worst series of results since 2014 nether Brendan Rodgers, arsenic what was portrayed arsenic a blip now becomes thing deeper erstwhile placed alongside nan erstwhile sky-high standards group nether caput coach Arne Slot successful his triumphant first title-winning season.

"If you suffer 4 times successful a row, you request to beryllium concerned," Slot told Match of nan Day. "We cognize really it useful successful football.

"If we support bringing successful these performances we will person a adjacent chance of winning much shot games. Losing 4 times successful a statement decidedly does thing pinch nan team."

If they suffer for nan 5th clip successful a statement to Eintracht Frankfurt successful nan Champions League connected Wednesday, it would beryllium nan first clip Liverpool person suffered this destiny since September 1953.

Liverpool moreover felt nan frustrations of their ain supporters connected occasions, erstwhile build-up was ponderous and they looked short of ideas to penetrate United's unyielding defence.

There were moments of ill-luck against United, Cody Gakpo striking nan woodwork 3 times earlier equalising successful nan 78th minute.

Salah slashed unconvincingly astatine a aureate opportunity, underlining nan 33-year-old's existent deficiency of shape and confidence, extending his tally without scoring a non-penalty extremity to 7 games.

Doubting world-class players is ever a vulnerable occupation, but Salah has looked retired of sorts this season, near retired of nan Champions League conclusion by Galatasaray successful Istanbul, past being substituted present pinch Liverpool trying to rescue a point.

Liverpool are presently a protector of nan businesslike instrumentality that strolled nan Premier League past season, having looked susceptible since time 1 this play successful a Community Shield conclusion by Crystal Palace astatine Wembley.

They are riddled pinch flaws, singular fixed nan truth Slot was handed almost £450m to fortify nan newly-crowned champions.

And amid each nan knowing that moreover stellar names signed successful record-breaking deals specified arsenic £116m for Florian Wirtz and £125m for Alexander Isak require a settling-in period, nan bottommost statement is that neither person produced thing adjacent enough.

Isak was anonymous again, having been chosen up of nan overmuch livelier Hugo Ekitike, while Wirtz erstwhile again had to beryllium contented pinch coming disconnected nan bench.

Their proven value will make Liverpool optimistic their monolithic outlay will beryllium rewarded, but their publication truthful far, astatine a mixed costs of £241m, has not stretched acold beyond non-existent.

"Arne Slot has a mates of decisions to make," erstwhile Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock told 5 Live.

"Szobozslai looks for illustration nan amended right-back and suits going into midfield from that position, but does he for illustration being there? No, but for nan bully of nan squad it would activity better.

"Then Frimpong comes connected down nan correct and has much of an power successful 10 minutes aliases truthful than Salah successful astir of nan game. He put 2 exceptional balls into nan box, and Gakpo should person scored from 1 of them. Ekitike did much erstwhile he came connected up apical than Isak did too."

For a squad that carried an aerial of calm laced pinch deadly threat past season, Liverpool now springiness disconnected an aerial of chaos and a deficiency of organisation, particularly successful their protect work.

Milos Kerkez struggled severely again, almost scoring an unwitting ain extremity pinch a rebound disconnected his look successful nan 2nd half, which would person summed up Liverpool's defending.

The statement will proceed astir whether referee Michael Oliver should person stopped play erstwhile Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister laic prone nursing a caput injury, inflicted accidentally by skipper Virgil van Dijk's elbow.

Instead, nan crippled continued, Bryam Mbeumo taking advantage of Van Dijk reacting slow to retrieve his position, finishing smartly past Liverpool's lawman keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

The deficiency of organisation is reflected successful nan statistic that Liverpool person conceded 5 goals resulting from group pieces successful 8 Premier League games this season. They did not concede immoderate goals successful that mode successful nan aforesaid number of matches astatine nan commencement of past season.

Liverpool are unfastened to counter-attacks astatine pace, while balls played successful down person presented problems each season.

It each adds up to nan position Liverpool find themselves in, dropping to 4th successful nan table, 4 points down leaders Arsenal.

Liverpool person excessively overmuch value to enactment successful nan slump for long, but Slot has problems to solve, needing to get those misfiring superstars up and moving while curing nan problems that person been exposed this season.

"It's an absorbing clip now, we person to instrumentality together," skipper Van Dijk said aft nan game.

"We request to enactment humble and enactment working. When things get tough, it is important we support nan mentality of being location for each other. It is simply a agelong season."