Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool are in ‘crisis time’ after their fourth straight Premier League defeat under Arne Slot.
The champions were beaten 3-2 by Brentford on Saturday, their fourth loss in as many league matches after defeats to Chelsea, Manchester United and Crystal Palace. It leaves them five points behind leaders Arsenal and already matching their total of league defeats from last season.
Arne Slot’s side, who stormed to the title just five months ago, have conceded nine goals across those four games and look a shadow of the team that lifted the trophy in May.
Questions are growing over Liverpool’s balance and intensity after a £446million summer outlay failed to translate into results.
Carragher warned that the slide has gone beyond a simple loss of form and argued that Slot’s team lack the physical edge needed to compete.
‘I don’t think they’ve got enough [physicality],’ he said on Sky Sports. ‘To lose four games in a row for a team like Brentford, or a team battling relegation, would be a disaster.
‘To see the champions lose four games in a row, with the expenditure in the summer, I think we’re in crisis time.
‘There will be a lot of serious questions being asked of everyone, the playing staff, the manager.’
It was another sobering night for Slot, who admitted his side have ‘no answer’ to the physical, direct football that has undone them for much of the month.
Liverpool were beaten by goals from Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago at the Gtech Community Stadium, despite late strikes from Milos Kerkez and Mohamed Salah.
The Dutchman called it ‘the worst performance of my tenure’ and accepted that opponents have ‘found a very good strategy to play against us’.
Slot reflected: ‘It is disappointing again. We hoped if we won a game during the week, of course you hope for a better result. I was also hoping and expecting a better performance. This was far from what we are used to.’
Liverpool’s defensive issues have been compounded by teams exploiting their weakness under long throws and set-pieces, a problem Slot himself highlighted after Brentford’s opener.
‘Teams know which strategy to play against us,’ he said.
Salah’s late goal ended a six-match drought, but the forward remains short of his usual standards, while new arrivals, including Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are still settling into Slot’s system.
For Brentford, it was a landmark night under Keith Andrews, whose team showed the aggression and structure that Liverpool are struggling to rediscover.
Slot will attempt to halt the slide in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie at home to Crystal Palace before facing Aston Villa and Manchester City in the league.
The coming week will test both his players’ resolve and Carragher’s warning that the champions are already ‘in crisis time’.
