Liverpool’s 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United on Sunday afternoon has left the Reds facing uncomfortable parallels with a dark chapter in the club’s recent history.
With the loss, manager Arne Slot has now matched an unwanted record that hasn’t been seen at Anfield in 11 years, highlighting a concerning dip in form for the reigning English champions.
Liverpool entered the clash at Anfield on the back of two consecutive Premier League defeats, but the tone was set almost immediately when Bryan Mbeumo struck in just 62 seconds to put Manchester United ahead.
The early setback left the home crowd stunned, and while Cody Gakpo managed to equalise late in the game, raising hopes of a comeback, those hopes were short-lived. Harry Maguire rose highest to head Manchester United back in front, handing the Reds yet another painful loss in a pivotal top-flight fixture.
Sunday’s result leaves Liverpool four points adrift of league leaders Arsenal, and puts Slot in rare company. The Dutch manager has now suffered four defeats in a row, a streak that stretches back to the last-gasp 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace at the end of September, when Eddie Nketiah’s 97th-minute winner left supporters stunned.
The losing run continued with a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League, courtesy of a Victor Osimhen penalty, followed by another heartbreak in the Premier League when Estevao scored a last-minute winner for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Sunday’s Maguire header compounded the misery, making it four consecutive defeats across all competitions under Slot a feat not seen at Liverpool since November 2014.
Back then, Brendan Rodgers was at the helm. The Reds had lost 1-0 away at Newcastle to an Ayoze Perez goal, before falling 1-0 in Spain to Real Madrid just three days later. They then suffered another defeat at Anfield when Diego Costa scored the winner for Chelsea, completing a poor run of results. An international break provided some respite, but a 3-1 defeat at Crystal Palace extended the streak to four losses.
Slot’s Liverpool, of course, is in a stronger position than Rodgers’ side was at the time. The Reds finished sixth under the Northern Irish manager, whereas after the loss at Selhurst Park they were languishing in 12th. Nonetheless, Slot will be desperate to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat when his side travels to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The comparison is particularly striking when viewed in the context of Jurgen Klopp’s nine-year tenure at Anfield. During Klopp’s time in charge, Liverpool never lost four games in a row across all competitions, a testament to the German manager’s consistency and ability to steady the ship during difficult runs of form.
Klopp departed in May 2024 after returning the club to the pinnacle of English football, meaning Slot’s current struggles stand in stark contrast to his predecessor’s record.
Interestingly, Liverpool did experience a four-game losing streak in the Premier League during Klopp’s tenure, back in February 2021. That sequence included defeats to Brighton, Manchester City, Leicester City, and Everton, as well as a 3-2 FA Cup loss to Manchester United in late January.
However, wins over Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United prevented the streak from extending further, and a 2-0 victory over RB Leipzig in February 2021 reset the counter, sparing Klopp from matching Rodgers’ unwanted feat.
Now, with the loss to Manchester United, Arne Slot finds himself in that same position: a manager who has overseen four consecutive defeats, leaving questions about form, tactics, and morale at Anfield. With the Champions League trip to Frankfurt looming, the Dutch coach will hope to halt the slide and prevent history from repeating itself in the Premier League.
Liverpool fans will be watching closely, hoping that the streak does not extend further. While the club remains in a competitive position domestically and in Europe, the shadow of the past and the comparison to Brendan Rodgers’ difficult spell serves as a reminder that even the most successful clubs can face periods of turbulence.
Slot’s challenge is clear: reverse the slide, restore confidence, and ensure that the Reds avoid becoming embroiled in another unwanted record.
