The crisis affecting Liverpool deepened with a calamitous 4-1 Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven leaving head coach Arne Slot under huge pressure after a ninth loss in 12 matches.
In fairness the Dutchman cannot be held responsible for inexplicable individual errors from his players but he is struggling to arrest a slide which is now threatening domestic and European success.
Ibrahima Konate completely missing the ball leading to the third goal was entirely predictable based on the woeful form he has shown this season; captain Virgil van Dijk conceding a ridiculous sixth-minute penalty, however, was not.
When confidence is so low it does not take much for things to turn sour quickly, but after Dominik Szoboszlai equalised Ivan Perisic’s spot-kick within 10 minutes it seemed the hosts were back on an even keel.
The omens had not been good with Van Dijk having the worst 20 minutes of his Liverpool career, beginning with the penalty conceded and culminating in a yellow card for an uncharacteristic lunge at Ismael Saibari.
How the Liverpool captain could argue against the spot-kick was baffling with his right arm so vertical when Joey Veerman’s corner hit it he looked like he was hailing a cab.
And he would have needed a taxi to get anywhere near the ball out on the touchline, so late was his challenge on Saibari that earned a yellow card.
In between, Szoboszlai had equalised with the most casual of finishes after Cody Gakpo’s shot was parried into his path.
That had been encouraging as when they went behind against Nottingham Forest on Saturday they fell apart – but Perisic’s goal came so early they had not even had a chance to establish a rhythm.
Liverpool gradually gained control, with Hugo Ekitike’s driving run resulting in a shot spilled for a corner, which Van Dijk headed against the crossbar.
Ekitike’s snap-shot would test Matej Kovar again but for all their possession the PSV keeper was not extended often enough.
Morale remained fragile and midfielder Curtis Jones, Liverpool’s fourth different starting right-back this season, attempting to chip across his own penalty area – which almost resulted in another goal conceded at the start of the second half – did not help.
And the collective response to Guus Til poking a shot past Giorgi Mamardashvili, in for the ill Alisson Becker, after Mauro Junior had been allowed to run 30 yards unchallenged after skipping past Mohamed Salah on halfway was a lot of staring at the night sky.
British record signing Alexander Isak was sent on for the final half-hour as Szoboszlai had a shot saved and in the same attack Gakpo headed over when he should have scored.
But Konate’s lack of concentration allowed Ricardo Pepi to run clear and when his shot rebounded off a post, Couhaib Driouech converted.
For the second successive match the France centre-back, out of contract in the summer, was substituted for an attacker after one mistake too many, and his replacement Federico Chiesa at least showed some fight.
But Driouech added a second in added time from a Sergino Dest cutback, and Liverpool were done.
Slot’s job does not appear to be under immediate threat but winning the Premier League in your maiden season only banks so much goodwill and results have to change to prevent the Dutchman using up that credit.
A smattering of boos at the final whistle will not have helped, though, and nor will the fact that Liverpool have now dropped out of the automatic qualification places for the Champions League knock-out rounds ahead of trips to last season’s runners-up Inter Milan and a resurgent Marseille.
