Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between Liverpool FC and PSV Eindhoven at Anfield on November 26, 2025 in Liverpool, England.placeholder image
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between Liverpool FC and PSV Eindhoven at Anfield on November 26, 2025 in Liverpool, England. | Getty Images
Liverpool were beaten 4-1 by PSV Eindhoven at Anfield on Wednesday night as the Reds suffered another embarrassing home defeat
It is the second-straight Anfield game the Reds have lost by three goals, with the pressure mounting on Arne Slot as his side failed to respond after their 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest. Boos rang around the stadium at full time with the Reds dropping to 13th in the Champions League table.
They are just one point behind Sporting Lisbon, who currently occupy 8th place in the standings after five games. The top-eight sides automatically qualify for the last 16 while the teams who finish between ninth and 24th play in a knock-out play-off to determine the other eight spots in the last 16.
Liverpool have nine points after three wins and two losses in their five games. The Reds face back-to-back away games next in the Champions League as they travel to Inter Milan on December 9 before taking on Marseille away from home on January 21.
They finish their league phase campaign with a home clash against Qarabag on January 28.
Last season, the Reds finished top of the league phase standings with seven wins from their eight games, as they finished two points above Barcelona, Arsenal and Inter Milan. Aston Villa finished eighth with 16 points with Lille and Bayer Leverkusen also finishing on that total and inside the top eight.
Liverpool can still get a maximum of 18 points but with two tricky away ties up next - the Reds face an uphill battle to claim a top-eight spot.
According to data experts at Opta, they predict that 15 points will be enough to finish in the top eight. In their forecast, they have Liverpool just missing out in ninth spot with Dortmund, Chelsea and Man City finish above them with approximately 15 to 16 points each.
Michael Dawson speaking on Soccer Special said: "That was 100 per cent worse than the Forest result. They probably didn't give PSV enough respect. I expected Liverpool to show up tonight and show a reaction.
"Nine defeats in 12 games. That is disastrous. That is a team lacking any self-belief. There was only one team out there in the second half. When PSV got their noses in front, they were absolutely dominant."
Slot said afterwards: "The last weeks, it's the same question every time. The emotion is all very negative and disappointing.
"I have to be, I want to be positive about the reaction of the players after we went 1-0 down because, until half-time, we played a very good game.
"After another disappointment, we came back into the game. I think we had enough chances, maybe, to go 2-1 up, and at half-time, I don't think anyone would have expected us to lose this game 4-1."
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