Liverpool has now lost their last 4 EPL games and they look like being out of the title race:
In midweek, expectations were that Liverpool might rotate lightly at home to Crystal Palace in the League Cup — but they still needed a domestic win. Instead, Arne Slot shocked everyone. His lineup was effectively a B-team, with only youth players on the bench, and it backfired spectacularly. The 3–0 defeat wasn’t just a bad night; it felt like a misread of the moment. Is he losing it?
Slot defended his decision afterwards.
“We’re managing a very heavy schedule, and I trust every player in this squad. The result doesn’t change that — it’s part of a longer process.”
It’s a noble sentiment, but the timing could hardly have been worse. Had Liverpool been top three in the Premier League and unbeaten in Europe, few would have questioned him. Even a few star names on the bench to call upon late in the game might have helped contain the backlash. As it stands, all Slot has done is pile pressure on his team before a decisive week featuring Aston Villa, Real Madrid, and Manchester City.
The deeper truth is that Liverpool just isn’t very good right now. Their defensive structure looks fragile, several players are missing, and key veterans like Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk — both now in their mid-30s — are struggling to influence games as they once did. Meanwhile, big summer signings Wirtz, Isak, Frimpong, and Kerkez — costing a combined £300 million — have yet to impress.
Liverpool has lost six of their last seven matches. The lone bright spot, a 5–1 win away to Eintracht Frankfurt, flattered them more than it reflected improvement. Frankfurt actually started well, exposed Liverpool’s shaky defending, and led before conceding two identical goals from corners where the marking was absent. Slot later admitted:
“Yes, we need to improve at defending set pieces. It’s about concentration and communication — both must be better.”
Villa, in contrast, have not lost in the EPL since Aug 31st:
Villa, comes in fresh and confident after a full week of rest following their win over Manchester City. Unai Emery’s side have now won six of their last seven, and even in their sole defeat, they could have been five goals up by halftime. Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers, who looked off the pace early in the season, have rediscovered form and are central to Villa’s attacking balance.
Emery praised his squad’s focus this week:
“We respect Liverpool — they will react, because big clubs always do — but we want to show our identity everywhere we play. The mentality is to be brave.”
Right now, Villa looks the better-organized, more confident side. Liverpool, burdened by fatigue, poor form, and pressure, may find this another uncomfortable afternoon.
Good luck, enjoy the game! It could be an entertaining one!
该文章通过有道机器翻译，仅供参考:
利物浦已经输掉了最近的4场英超比赛，他们看起来已经出局了。
在周中，利物浦可能会在联赛杯主场对阵水晶宫的比赛中轮换出场，但他们仍然需要一场国内比赛的胜利。相反，阿恩·斯洛特震惊了所有人。他的阵容实际上是一支b队，板凳上只有年轻球员，结果适得其反。0 - 3的失利不仅仅是一个糟糕的夜晚；那感觉就像是当时的误读。他失去理智了吗？
斯洛特后来为自己的决定辩护。
“我们的赛程非常繁重，我相信球队里的每一个球员。结果不会改变这一点——这是一个更长的过程的一部分。”
这是一种高尚的情感，但时机不可能再糟糕了。如果利物浦在英超联赛中排名前三，并且在欧洲保持不败，很少有人会质疑他。即使是板凳上的几个明星球员在比赛的最后阶段也可能有助于遏制这种反弹。就目前而言，斯洛特所做的一切都是在与阿斯顿维拉、皇家马德里和曼城的决定性一周之前给球队施加压力。
更深层次的事实是，利物浦现在不是很好。他们的防守结构看起来很脆弱，几名球员缺阵，像穆罕默德·萨拉赫和维吉尔·范迪克这样的关键老将——现在都是35岁左右——正在努力像以前那样影响比赛。与此同时，夏天签下的维尔茨、伊萨克、弗林蓬和克尔克兹——总共花费了3亿英镑——还没有给人留下深刻的印象。
利物浦最近7场比赛输了6场。唯一的亮点是客场5-1战胜法兰克福，这对他们来说是一种恭维，而不是进步的体现。法兰克福实际上开局不错，暴露了利物浦脆弱的防守，并在没有盯人的角球中丢了两个相同的球之前领先。Slot后来承认：
“是的，我们需要提高防守定位球的能力。这是关于专注和沟通——两者都必须更好。”
相比之下，维拉自8月31日以来从未在英超输球。
战胜曼城后，维拉在休息了整整一周后恢复了活力和信心。乌奈·埃梅里的球队在过去的七场比赛中赢了六场，即使在他们唯一的失利中，他们也可以在半场结束时领先五球。奥利·沃特金斯和摩根·罗杰斯，在赛季初看起来没有节奏，现在已经找回了状态，并且是维拉进攻平衡的核心。
埃梅里赞扬了他的球队本周的专注：
“我们尊重利物浦——他们会做出反应，因为大俱乐部总是这样——但我们想在任何比赛的地方展示我们的身份。我们的心态就是要勇敢。”
现在，维拉看起来更有组织，更有信心。疲惫不堪、状态不佳、压力重重的利物浦，可能会发现这又是一个不舒服的下午。
祝你好运，享受比赛！它可能是一个有趣的！
