All the optimism Liverpool had built from back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid was swept away in a rain-soaked afternoon in Manchester. Any notion that Arne Slot’s side had rediscovered their rhythm was brutally exposed by Manchester City, who dismantled the champions with a performance of precision and power.

This was Liverpool’s heaviest Premier League defeat under Slot and the first time they had failed to score in a league match for almost 14 months. For a team that had exuded control and composure just five days earlier in Europe, this display was unrecognisable. The Reds were out-thought, out-fought, and outclassed.

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A Title Defence in Tatters

Slot’s side now sit eighth in the Premier League table, eight points behind leaders Arsenal, and the manager himself was in no mood to sugarcoat the situation. “The last thing I should think about now is the title race,” he admitted. “The reality is we are eighth.”

It is not simply the points gap that alarms supporters, but the manner of the defeats. Liverpool have lost five of their opening eleven league matches, their worst start to a campaign in nearly a decade. They have conceded 17 goals—more than Fulham, who are 15th in the table. By contrast, after the same number of games last season, the Reds had shipped just six.

The away form is even more damning. Defeats at Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Brentford, and now City mean Liverpool have gone four consecutive away league games without a single point for the first time since Sir Kenny Dalglish’s second spell in charge in 2012.

City Expose Liverpool’s Soft Underbelly

The warning signs appeared early at the Etihad. When Erling Haaland saw his penalty saved by Giorgi Mamardashvili, Ibrahima Konaté breathed a sigh of relief—his own mistake had gifted City the opportunity. Yet just minutes later, the Frenchman’s lack of composure was punished. Failing to deal with Matheus Nunes’ cross, he allowed Haaland to nod home the opener.

Konaté’s form has become a growing concern. Increasingly erratic, he has struggled to offer the assurance once expected of him. With his contract entering its final months, Liverpool may soon regret not pursuing Marc Guéhi from Crystal Palace over the summer.

The hosts doubled their lead before half-time, exploiting Liverpool’s sluggishness from a short corner. Defensive organisation disintegrated, and the Reds were once again architects of their own downfall. For Slot, it was a tactical nightmare. “If we could have reached half-time only one down, we might have adjusted a few things,” he reflected ruefully.

VAR Controversy Adds to Liverpool’s Frustration

Virgil van Dijk thought he had levelled the score midway through the first half, rising majestically to head home, only for VAR official Michael Oliver to rule it out. Andy Robertson, standing in an offside position but not touching the ball, was judged to have interfered with play.

Slot was incensed by the decision. “For me, it was a wrong decision that this goal was not allowed,” he said. “But I will not say because of that we lost the game.”

Still, the disallowed goal symbolised Liverpool’s growing frustration—every small mistake or marginal call seems to be going against them this season.

Tactical Breakdown: Guardiola Outmanoeuvres Slot

Pep Guardiola, celebrating his 1,000th match in management, masterminded a midfield overload that Liverpool never solved. By drawing their full-backs inside and flooding central areas, City consistently found numerical superiority.

The statistics were damning. Liverpool won only 42 per cent of duels in the first half and just 35 per cent in the second. “We were constantly coming up two players short in the middle,” Slot admitted. “It wasn’t about effort; the game plan wasn’t working, and City were so much better on the ball.”

Jeremy Doku, the standout performer, tormented Konaté down the flank all afternoon and capped his display with a superb third goal, ghosting away from his marker to seal the rout.

A Blunt Edge and Questionable Changes

Up front, Hugo Ekitike endured a miserable afternoon, managing just 11 touches before being replaced. Substitute Cody Gakpo squandered Liverpool’s best chance, while Mohamed Salah was unusually quiet, failing to register a goal or assist against City for the first time in ten league starts.

With Dominik Szoboszlai producing the only shot on target, Slot’s reluctance to introduce Federico Chiesa earlier baffled many. Instead, he opted to deploy Florian Wirtz as a false nine, a tactical experiment that offered neither width nor penetration. The decision summed up a day where nothing clicked.

Champions League Hopes and Domestic Doubts

Some suggest Liverpool might fare better in Europe, where their three wins from four in the group stage leave them well-placed to reach the knockout rounds. The logic holds that, with time, Slot’s summer signings will settle and cohesion will improve.

Yet even if continental competition offers a reprieve, their league form threatens to derail ambitions of qualifying for next year’s Champions League. Six points from a possible 18 away from home is not the record of a side chasing glory.

For a club of Liverpool’s stature, that is unacceptable. The transformation required is not merely tactical but psychological. They must rediscover the resilience and ruthlessness that once defined them under Jurgen Klopp—qualities that now feel a distant memory.

Back to the Drawing Board

As Slot trudged off the pitch, drenched under the Manchester rain, he cut a figure of deep contemplation. His team, so briefly resurgent, have slipped once again into crisis. The wins over Villa and Madrid look less like a turning point and more like an illusion.

Until Liverpool learn how to manage adversity on their travels and tighten a defence that now leaks goals with alarming regularity, any talk of defending their title is fantasy.

For now, the champions are chasing shadows—both their opponents and the version of themselves that once seemed untouchable.