Pressure builds on Arne Slot as Liverpool humiliated by PSV in Champions League
Liverpool manager Arne Slot reacts after the Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield on Wednesday night. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA
Arne Slot can't survive many more humiliations like this, after he was undone by 'friendly fire' to intensify the pressure on the increasingly beleaguered Liverpool boss.
Guus Til played under the Dutchman at AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, but there was no old pals act from the Netherlands midfielder, whose first Champions League goal helped to condemn Slot's confidence-starved side to a ninth defeat in the last 12 games in the latest body blow to a rapidly disintegrating campaign.
The 27-year-old suffered a nasty kick in the face before half-time, but ensured he delivered a metaphorical riposte 11 minutes into the second half to restore his side's lead on the way to consigning Liverpool to their worst run for more than 70 years.
Til left his marker Milos Kerkez trailing to apply a sumptuous first-time finish to Mauro Junior's inviting ball into the area as the hosts again paid for giving their opponents far too much time and space.
That wasn't even the low point of the night for the fast-fading hosts. Couhaib Driouech twisted the knife, coming off the bench to score twice in the final 17 minutes, first following-up from close range after a shot from fellow substitute Ricardo Pepi came back off the post before an unerring low finish in stoppage time completed the rout.
It was the 10th goal shipped by the soon-to-be-deposed English champions in the last three games and capped a thoroughly deserved win for the visitors.
Liverpool were immediately pushed back by a high-octane start from the Dutch league leaders — unchanged for the sixth consecutive match — who were rewarded by taking a sixth-minute lead thanks quite literally by a helping hand from the hapless hosts.
From the second of two early corners, swung in by Joey Veerman, Virgil van Dijk inexplicably flung out an arm to make clear contact with the ball at the near post to leave Spanish referee Alejandro Hernandez with a simple decision to award a penalty in front of a stunned Kop.
Van Dijk claimed his moment of madness had been caused by a push in the back from defender Jerdy Schouten as they challenged for the ball.
The Liverpool skipper's flimsy protest was unsurprisingly ignored and ex-Spurs forward Ivan Perisic stepped up to confidently send Giorgi Mamadashvili the wrong way from the spot. It was the ninth time in the last 12 games in which Liverpool have conceded the first goal.
Slot's side were only behind for 10 minutes as they levelled with the club's landmark 500th Champions League goal before any frustrations from the stands transferred to the pitch.
Eindhoven-born PSV youth product Cody Gakpo was the instigator, cutting in with purpose from the left to fire in a low angled drive which was well saved by Matej Kovar only for the rebound to fall invitingly for an unmarked Dominik Szoboszlai to pass the equaliser into an unguarded net from a dozen yards.
In a breathless opening 20 minutes, PSV looked to have retaken the lead when Yarek Gasiorowski fired the loose ball home from close range after Liverpool failed to deal with a Veerman free-kick into the area.
There was relief for the hosts in the form of an assistant's flag as the effort was ruled out for a marginal offside against Ismael Saibari.
Van Dijk showed greater prowess at attacking corners than defensive ones when his header from Mo Salah's delivery came back off the bar as Liverpool began to build up a head of steam. Kovar saved well low to his left from Hugo Ekitike to allow the visitors to regroup at half-time still on level terms.
Saibari failed to accept a gift from Curtis Jones early in the second half when intercepting the midfielder's brainless attempted pass across his own six yard box.
The Moroccan's forward attempted chip from a narrow angle in front of PSV's 3,000 travelling fans was diverted for a corner by Mamardashvili in a major escape for the hosts, who started the second half as unconvincingly as they had the first.
PSV took advantage to retake the lead through Til as the hour mark approached. Perisic should have made it three but failed to make a decent contact with a presentable volley as the lurking forward was allowed an alarming amount of space at the far post.
An unmarked Gakpo conjured an even bigger howler when heading over from inside the six-yard box as Liverpool sought a way back which never remotely appeared likely as PSV finished strongly to rack-up a 16th game unbeaten on the road this season to climb into the top half of the bloated Champions League table.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
