The 12-second moment almost summed up Liverpool's unstable season. While the home team was busy searching for the decisive goal in the final minutes against Sunderland at Anfield, Florian Wirtz hung a line into the penalty area. However, instead of creating an opportunity, the ball went through Ibrahima Konate's head and fell into the hands of Robin Roefs.
The Sunderland goalkeeper immediately seized the opportunity to put more pressure on the reigning Premier League champions in crisis, when he made a long pass to Wilson Isidor - who accelerated from the home field towards Liverpool's goal. Just as it seemed that the Kop's net would be shaken, Federico Chiesa - who came off the bench - rushed back to block right on the goal line, saving the team from the humiliation of losing the 10th match in 14 matches in all competitions.
That save helped Liverpool escape another embarrassing defeat. However, this result is proof of the deadlock of coach Arne Slot.
Just a few months ago, the Dutch strategist was hailed as a modern image of Bob Paisley - who built a glorious dynasty at Anfield after succeeding Bill Shankly in the 1970s. But in recent weeks, Slot has been compared to Roy Hodgson, who had a short and unlucky tenure of only 31 games before being sacked in 2010-2011.
Of course, such comparisons arewesome considering Slot's status as a Premier League champions. However, it is undeniable that Liverpool's current form under him is causing many concerns. After convincingly taking Liverpool to the top last season and spending £450 million in the summer transfer window, Slot's side were once considered the strongest contenders for the title this year.
However, as a third of the season has passed, Liverpool's title- defending journey has become increasingly unconvincing. And for the first time in his coaching career, Slot really felt the pressure was weighing on him.
A win over Leeds would significantly ease the pressure on Slot and his players, at least for the challenging match against Inter Milan at the San Siro in the Champions League.
Although Anfield sometimes became chaotic, even after the defeat to PSV, there was no strong negative reaction, only a few hours of waving in the stands. Notably, in the match against West Ham, The Kop fans still sang Slot's name, even before his team led 2-0 at the London Stadium.
That support will likely continue as Liverpool travel to Elland Road to face Leeds - a team in high spirits after an impressive 3-1 victory over title contender Chelsea. However, if Slot cannot find a solution to the current problems soon, even the most loyal fans can change their attitude in the near future.
