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Welcome back to The High Ground—The Premier League never waits for anyone — not even its reigning champions.
Liverpool’s empire, once built on relentless pressing and control, now looks fragile and fatigued.
After a fourth straight defeat — this time to Brentford, of all teams — the cracks are no longer subtle. They’re splitting open under the floodlights.
The Fall: Brentford 3–2 Liverpool
It was messy. It was ugly. It was deserved.
Brentford bullied the champions 3–2 in west London, with goals from Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade, and Igor Thiago handing Liverpool their worst league run since 2021.
Arne Slot’s side looked drained from their midweek trip to Frankfurt. The energy that once defined them has evaporated. And now, for the sixth straight game, they conceded first.
Brentford’s opener — from a long throw-in, of course — was symbolic. The Bees have made them a weapon again, scoring eight goals from throws since 2024. This one was classic chaos: a flick, a scramble, a finish. It set the tone for everything that followed.
The Numbers Tell a Brutal Story
Liverpool’s problems are structural.
They’ve now conceded 2+ goals in nine of their last 13 league games — more than any other team in that span.
Four straight losses.
Fourteen goals conceded in nine matches.
The same total it took them 16 games to reach last season.
And here’s the kicker: they’ve already matched their defeat total from their title-winning campaign.
This isn’t a blip. It’s a full-blown identity crisis.
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The Salah Constant — and the System’s Decline
Mo Salah still scores. That’s what he does. His 89th-minute strike — his first non-penalty goal of the season — gave Liverpool brief hope.
But his reliability only highlights the decay around him.
Virgil van Dijk looks mortal. The midfield feels disconnected. And the once-feared press? It’s gone missing. Slot’s attempt to modernize Klopp’s system has left the team caught between styles — no longer ferocious, not yet fluid.
Liverpool are still scoring in 43 consecutive league games, the third-longest run in English top-flight history.
But that only proves the point: the attack hums, the defence bleeds.
The Bigger Picture
Arsenal could go seven points clear by Monday.
Manchester City, rebuilt and ruthless, haven’t even hit full gear yet.
Liverpool? Sixth — and slipping.
The numbers say “unlucky.” The eyes say “uninspired.”
And for the first time in years, Anfield feels like it’s waiting for something to change.
High Ground takeaway: Liverpool’s downfall isn’t just about results — it’s about rhythm.
The gegenpress era ended the moment the Reds stopped hunting in packs.
Now, under Slot, they’re learning the hard way: football built on chaos needs control to survive.
If Liverpool can’t rediscover that balance soon, this won’t be a bad month. It’ll be the beginning of a decline.
