Liverpool’s season just took another painful turn.
A late 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth has ended the Reds’ long unbeaten run and deepened the sense of frustration around the club.
This was supposed to be a response game. Instead, it became another reminder of how fragile this team has looked in key moments.
The Premier League is unforgiving. One mistake can define a match. One second of hesitation can cost three points.
That is the reality Liverpool are facing right now. Arne Slot’s side have now gone five league games without a win. For a team that lifted the title not long ago, this feels like a heavy fall.
What makes this worse is how familiar the story feels. Liverpool dominated possession in the second half.
They showed character by coming back from two goals down, even after a Joe Gomez injury. They found goals through Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai.
They even looked like winning it at one point. But when it mattered most, the defence failed again.
A long throw in the final seconds caused chaos. Amine Adli finished from close range. The Vitality Stadium erupted. Liverpool players stood still.
For fans, this is the hardest part. The effort is there. The belief is there. But the results are not.
And now, another explanation looks to have added fuel to the anger.
After the match, Arne Slot was the first to defend his captain.
He sad to Sky Sports, “I don’t think it’s completely fair to Virgil [van Dijk] to blame him for the first goal. I think you could see throughout the game how much impact the wind had.”
After the match, Virgil van Dijk was asked to explain the moment that started it all.
Instead of taking full responsibility, he pointed to the same conditions, as Slot did.
He said, “Well, for the first goal, I think it was a difficult ball to judge due to the circumstances.”
“The wind was very tricky, I think you saw it, especially when we played long balls on their side.”
“It was very difficult to judge. To concede that one, it’s not an issue but I think we controlled the game quite well before that.”
When questioned about not clearing the ball, he added, “We were with 10 men, you can argue that we have to kick the ball out.”
“It’s not on Alisson. It’s easy to say he should have done this. It is a split second.”
“We decided to keep the ball as we had possession, and unfortunately for us, we conceded. Losing never feels good, especially as a Liverpool player.”
From a Liverpool point of view, this is hard to accept. The team is under pressure. The fans want accountability.
The Premier League does not forgive excuses. And right now, Liverpool cannot afford any more.
“I felt like I was clearly blocked but the ref and VAR didn’t give it…”
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 24, 2026
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