Liverpool Are Living a Nightmare This Halloween | OneFootball

Let’s start with the obvious: that Carabao Cup tie was a disaster. A young, heavily rotated Liverpool side with ten changes from the Brentford defeat were outplayed, outthought, and outmuscled by Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace.

Two goals from Ismaila Sarr inside four minutes sent the Reds reeling, and when Yéremy Pino struck late to make it three, it confirmed what everyone already knew: Liverpool’s night was over before it began.

Arne Slot’s decision to rest virtually all his senior players raised eyebrows and tempers. No Virgil van Dijk, no Mohamed Salah, no Dominik Szoboszlai, no Cody Gakpo, not even a senior outfield player on the bench. It was, quite literally, all on the kids.

And for a club built on pride, the optics were painful. Liverpool didn’t just lose a game; they surrendered a competition. The Carabao Cup might not be glamorous, but Klopp used it to build belief. Slot used it to rest legs. The logic was understandable, but the message felt deflating.

As the rain poured down and the Kop emptied early, it was hard not to recall nights when Liverpool’s identity was defiance, when whoever wore the shirt fought to the end. On Wednesday, that spirit looked miles away.

A Team Without Conviction

It’s not just the results; it’s how they’re happening. Liverpool look lost. The pressing is half hearted, the shape changes every match, and the swagger that defined last season’s title winning run has vanished. Federico Chiesa huffed and puffed. Joe Gomez made another costly mistake. Young Amara Nallo’s red card was harsh but symbolic of wider chaos.

Slot insists there’s “no panic,” but you can see it in every misplaced touch. A side that once played with rhythm now looks unsure of every beat. Six defeats in seven, Liverpool’s worst run in sixteen years. The last time they lost six of seven was under Rafa Benítez in 2009.

This slump feels different because it’s come so soon after triumph. In May, Slot was hailed as the calm successor to Klopp, the man who kept Liverpool’s heart but added new ideas. He’d just guided them to a Premier League title, rebuilt a midfield, and reinvigorated a squad many thought had peaked. Now, half a year later, he looks like a man trying to remember how he did it.

Liverpool’s play has become a patchwork of uncertainty. The pressing lacks timing, the structure crumbles under pressure, and there’s no clear plan in possession. Players look unsure whether to press high or sit deep, play short or go long. Every decision feels second guessed, and when that happens, energy drains fast.

Injuries haven’t helped, Alisson Becker, Jeremie Frimpong, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexander Isak are all out. That’s the spine of a team gone. But even so, Liverpool shouldn’t look this hollow. The famous heavy metal spirit has vanished.

The Gamble

Wednesday’s selection was bold, maybe too bold. Slot gambled that sacrificing the Carabao Cup might recharge his stars before three defining fixtures: Aston Villa at home, Real Madrid on Tuesday, and Manchester City next weekend. If Liverpool bounce back, the logic holds. If they don’t, the midweek humiliation becomes another brick in a growing wall of frustration.

Inside the club, there’s no panic yet. Slot’s success last season buys him trust. But outside the AXA Training Centre, patience is wearing thin. Supporters are restless; online, the tone has turned sharp. Lose again and the noise will become deafening.

Aston Villa: The Rising Threat

If Liverpool are drowning, Aston Villa are flying. Unai Emery’s side are unbeaten in six Premier League games and just beat Manchester City 1–0. Matty Cash’s goal capped a display full of discipline and energy. Villa are everything Liverpool aren’t right now: confident, structured, ruthless.

And they won’t fear Anfield. Emery’s team relishes big nights. It’s been over a decade since Villa last won there, but right now, they’ll fancy their chances.

Slot’s Challenge: Calm in Chaos

He won the Premier League six months ago, Liverpool’s 20th, a record equalling title. That kind of credit doesn’t vanish overnight. But the question isn’t whether Slot’s a good coach; it’s whether this team still knows what it’s supposed to be.

Saturday isn’t just about three points. It’s about rediscovering belief, reminding themselves and everyone else that they’re still champions. Anfield’s aura has faded. Palace and Manchester United both exposed that. Teams now know that if you’re organised and brave, this Liverpool side can be got at.

For Villa, the plan is clear: survive the first 20 minutes, frustrate the crowd, then strike. For Liverpool, it’s about rediscovering their intensity, that relentless tempo that once made opponents dread coming here.

What’s at Stake

Slot knows the numbers. Liverpool haven’t lost five consecutive league games since 1953, seventy two years. Letting that record fall would be catastrophic, not just statistically but symbolically. It would confirm this isn’t a slump but a collapse.

There’s no hiding place now. Saturday’s game is a litmus test: can Liverpool reclaim their identity, or is this season slipping into a familiar malaise?

Form suggests Villa. History suggests Liverpool. But football rarely reads the script. The champions have been battered and humiliated in recent weeks, yet sometimes that’s exactly when they strike back.

Liverpool need a spark, maybe from Salah, maybe from Wirtz, maybe from anyone willing to take responsibility. If they find it, this could be the night they wake from their nightmare. If not, the ghosts of October might just follow them into November.