Arne Slot's Liverpool extended their losing streak to four matches across all competitions with a 2-1 defeat to arch-rivals Manchester United on the weekend and, to rub salt into their wounds, it has been reported that the Reds – who are now sat third in the table – are set to be contacted by the Premier League for multiple breaches of their multi-ball system.
Returning from the October international break with a point to prove, the reigning champions of the Premier League faltered in their test against Ruben Amorim's men and found themselves 1-0 down within two minutes as Bryan Mbeumo got behind Virgil van Dijk and bypassed Giorgi Mamardashvili. Cody Gakpo levelled proceedings in the 78th minute.
Continuing his redemption arc for the ages, Harry Maguire stepped up with six minutes left of regulation time and won the encounter for the visitors with a wonderfully-guided header. As Slot's side come to terms with their four-match loss streak, things are potentially going to get worse given they are being accused of breaking Premier League regulations against United.
Watch the highlights from United's 2-1 win over Liverpool on Saturday:
arne slot liverpool
After Maguire nodded his effort past Mamardashvili, resulting in pandemonium in the away end, Liverpool were searching for an equaliser at Anfield on Sunday afternoon – and, in an attempt to speed up play, there were numerous times when ball attendants threw Slot's men the ball. That, however, isn't allowed and reports now suggest the Reds are expecting to be contacted by league chiefs.
Regulations, which were introduced three years ago in 2022, state that a number of balls are positioned on tees around the pitch with players expected to pick them up. Ball boys and girls, however, are not permitted to hand them over.
This was the case on several occasions as Liverpool, who face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday, were keen to grab a late goal with the clock ticking towards the game's conclusion. The rule also extends to coaching staff of both sides, but Liverpool boss Slot also threw the ball to one of his players.
Liverpool's Next Five Fixtures
Date
22/10
25/10
29/10
01/11
04/11
As United neared a shock victory against Liverpool, two balls were spotted on the field of play on two separate occasions. It's important to note that the rule was introduced in order to speed up play – but teams were warned that the system should not be abused.
This would not be the first time a Premier League side have been penalised for breaking said rules as, in August of this year, Unai Emery's Aston Villa were slapped with a £125,000 fine after accepting they had violated the regulations. According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are not expected to be hit with a financial sanction but, instead, just a reminder of the rules.
In the case of Villa, a report found that ball boys and girls were actively handing the ball to Emery's players on several occasions rather than following the set-in-stone protocol. They were targeted for multiple breaches, whereas it has only been the case for Liverpool on this one occasion.
The report has claimed that, although it did raise some eyebrows among the Old Trafford delegation, United did not issue a formal complaint regarding Liverpool's tactics on the weekend. Both the Premier League and Liverpool have declined to comment.