When Kevin Schade just scored to make it 2-0 for Brentford against Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk immediately turned to protest Cody Gakpo, who responded with a backlash. Ibrahima Konate looked down at the grass as he and his teammates walked tiredly back to the center circle.
For Liverpool - who lost 2-3 - this is becoming a very familiar habit. For the first time since February 2021, The Kop have lost four consecutive Premier League games, as a series of defensive injuries led to a collapse in the club's title- defending journey. This time, the mitigating circumstances are not as clear, but the result is still the same: Liverpool are in crisis.
After Igor Thiago successfully converted the controversial penalty in the second half, helping the home team regain the 2-goal lead, Brentford fans shouted " tomorrow morning you will be fired!" towards Liverpool manager Arne Slot on the touchline.
Those mockery may be just a joke as Slot is still a respected coach after last season's championship. But still, it is a harsh reminder of how far Liverpool have fallen.
If the midweek win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League was seen as a temporary lifebuoy, the trip to west London pulled them back to earth with a heavy fall. If Arsenal beat Crystal Palace at the Emirates, Liverpool will be 7 points behind Mikel Arteta's side.
Of course, the season is still long, and bigger gaps have been leveled in previous title races. But at the moment, Liverpool look like a team struggling to regain their identity rather than a title defending candidate.
The stage for another gloomy night was set up after only 5 minutes of play. Dango Ouattara made a stunning volley to open the scoring after Michael Kayode's impressive throw-in, headed by Kristoffer Ajer. It was the eighth goal from throw-ins Brentford have scored in the Premier League since the start of last season. And Liverpool once again showed a lack of preparation and concentration.
The Kop's frustration increased after the missed sets of Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz, before Kevin Schade took advantage of a pass that ripped off the defense from Mikkel Damsgaard to finish coolly, doubling the gap right before the break.
Milos Kerkez's opportunity momentum reignited the visitors' hopes, but Liverpool could not create any real motivation after the break. And when Thiago increased the score to 3-1 for Brentford from the penalty spot, Slot's team seemed to have run out of ideas.
Liverpool have now lost as many Premier League games this season as last season. Salah's long-range shot in the 89th minute lit up a beacon of hope, but in the end, The Kop could not find another equalizer in the last minute.
In the Liverpool squad, Salah is a player who is clearly declining, reflecting the common difficulties of the whole team. The Egyptian striker has yet to return to his peak form. After being pushed to the bench in the match against Frankfurt, Salah was returned to the starting lineup. He also became the first Liverpool striker to start more than 50 consecutive games since Ian rush between February 1986 and May 1987 (56 games).
Salah's goal was probably one of the few positive points Liverpool could draw from the defeat to Brentford. However, for most of the match, the 33-year-old striker looked like a shadow of himself, far from the image he had carried to bring Liverpool to the championship last season.
"I've said this many times, I mean teams always have a specific style of play when facing us. It was a very good tactic, and we haven't found a way to react.
This is certainly also related to the fact that the team has made many changes in the summer. So it's not surprising that things are going as they are," Slot admitted.
