What might have been deemed a wobble appears to be a full-blown crisis for Arne Slot at Liverpool, with the beleaguered English champions getting thrashed for the third straight game on Wednesday.
It is now nine defeats in its last 12 games for Liverpool after PSV Eindhoven left Anfield with a 4-1 win in the Champions League. The Reds were coming off 3-0 losses in the Premier League to Manchester City before the international break and Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
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Slot is under increasing pressure — an inconceivable scenario, given Liverpool cruised to the Premier League title a matter of months ago — and defensive mistakes again led to his team’s downfall against PSV.
Firstly, Virgil van Dijk’s raised hand touched the ball at a corner to give away a penalty, converted by 36-year-old Ivan Perisic for the opener to the Dutch champions.
Dominik Szoboszlai equalised 10 minutes later, but after Guus Til regained the lead for PSV, Liverpool centre back Ibrahima Konate — a target for criticism from fans and pundits alike in recent months — missed the ball completely to let the visitors in on goal again.
US forward Ricardo Pepi shot against the post, and Couhaib Driouech was there to convert the rebound.
Driouech added a fourth in stoppage time to complete the humiliation.
Arsenal topple Bayern to lead UCL league phase
Arsenal beat Bayern Munich for the first time in a decade to maintain their 100 percent record in this season’s Champions League with a 3-1 victory, sending them top of the group.
Jurrien Timber headed Mikel Arteta’s side in front from a corner after 22 minutes, only for Bayern teenager Lennart Karl to equalise in style before half-time.
Arsenal dominated the second half, though and showed their immense squad depth as substitutes Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli scored the goals to make it five wins from five.
It proved a quiet return to north London for prolific Bayern striker Harry Kane as his side suffered their first defeat of the season in all competitions.
With Inter Milan dropping points, Arsenal are now the only team in the competition with a maximum 15 points and look all but assured of a place in the last 16.
Six points clear at the top of the Premier League and Bundesliga respectively and boasting flawless records after four games in the Champions League, Arsenal and Bayern Munich have been Europe’s stand-out teams this season.
The sides met in the quarterfinals two years ago with Bayern coming out on top, but Arsenal have moved to another level since that clash and went into Wednesday’s game on a 15-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
With last-16 spots already looking safe for both clubs, the 15th meeting between them lacked jeopardy, but bragging rights and psychological blows were up for grabs.
It was Arsenal who emerged with both, thanks to a win that will reverberate around Europe.
Bayern, backed by a vociferous travelling army, looked confident early on but were stunned in the 22nd minute when Arsenal scored the kind of devastatingly simple goal that has become their trademark.
Bukayo Saka swung in a corner, Myles Lewis-Skelly got the slightest of nudges on Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer, and Timb