Liverpool Football Club is currently enduring its worst period of form in over 70 years, a concerning downturn that was starkly highlighted by a comprehensive 4-1 Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday. This loss at Anfield has intensified scrutiny on manager Arne Slot and the squad, as the team struggles to regain consistency across all competitions.

The Champions League encounter began with a high tempo. PSV Eindhoven took an early lead in the 6th minute when Ivan Perišić converted a penalty. However, Liverpool responded swiftly, equalising just ten minutes later. Dominik Szoboszlai provided a clever assist for Cody Gakpo, who slotted the ball home in the 16th minute to level the score at 1-1 before half-time. The second half, however, saw PSV assert their dominance. Guus Til capitalised on a defensive lapse to score in the 56th minute, making it 2-1. Liverpool’s hopes further diminished when Chadi Driouech found the net in the 73rd minute, extending PSV’s lead to 3-1. The final blow came in injury time, as Driouech struck again in the 90+1 minute, sealing a decisive 4-1 victory for the Dutch side.

This European night of disappointment comes amidst a season that has seen Liverpool, the reigning Premier League champions, plummet to 12th in the league table, trailing leaders Arsenal by 11 points. Their domestic form is equally alarming, with only one win in their last five league games and a staggering six defeats out of their last seven Premier League fixtures. They are the first defending champions since Leicester in the 2016-17 season to suffer six losses in their first 12 matches. The club's overall statistics paint a grim picture: they have lost nine and won only three of their last 12 games across all competitions. This run includes three successive defeats by three goals or more, with 3-0 league losses to Manchester City and Nottingham Forest preceding the 4-1 rout by PSV.

The current crisis draws stark parallels to the club's struggles in the 1953-54 season. Both periods share the unenviable statistic of nine defeats in 12 games. In 1953, Don Welsh's side suffered heavy defeats, including 5-1 losses to Portsmouth and Manchester United, and a 5-2 defeat to West Brom. That season ultimately saw Liverpool finish bottom of the First Division and suffer relegation, the last time such a fate befell the club. While the 1953-54 team’s form was arguably worse and culminated in relegation, the context differs significantly, as that team had finished 17th the previous season, making the decline less surprising than for Slot's defending champions.

Club legend Steven Gerrard did not mince words in his assessment of the team’s performance following the PSV loss. Speaking as a pundit, Gerrard acknowledged that