Liverpool endured a 4-1 home defeat to PSV Eindhoven — their ninth loss in 12 matches — and the result highlighted several persistent problems for Arne Slot’s side.
Van Dijk’s dip and leadership issues
Virgil van Dijk has been alternating between highs and troubling lows. After a clean sheet against Real Madrid, his recent performances have been rocked by errors and poor decision-making: a handball that led to a penalty, a booking for a reckless lunge and moments when he looked culpable for goals. As the team’s vocal leader, any loss of form is amplified because he is expected to organise and steady those around him. With Mohamed Salah also operating below his best, the pairing of long-standing leaders has left Liverpool short on consistency and calm at the back and in attack.
Konaté’s alarming mistakes
Ibrahima Konaté compounded defensive frailties with a simple failure to deal with a forward ball that allowed PSV to break for the third goal. The lack of reliable alternatives at centre-back — and suggestions that a summer signing such as Marc Guehi might have displaced him — underline a thinness in options. Whether Konaté’s errors stem from confidence or concentration, Slot cannot treat repeated mistakes as one-off lapses when they are costing the team dearly.
Kerkez not yet convincing at left-back
New signing Kerkez has struggled to establish himself, losing his spot to Andrew Robertson and failing to seize subsequent opportunities. He was exposed by Sergino Dest and Guus Til and was beaten for PSV’s second goal after a brief on-field exchange with Van Dijk. The crowd’s backing will matter, but Kerkez needs to show more consistency and resilience to convince teammates and supporters that he can handle the demands of the left-back role.
Salah’s limited defensive contribution
Mohamed Salah’s decreasing output has brought into focus how little he helps defensively from the right flank. With makeshift options at right-back — and regulars unavailable — whoever is asked to cover that side becomes isolated because Salah rarely tracks back. That was evident when Mauro Júnior bypassed him for PSV’s second goal. When Salah was scoring frequently, his defensive gaps were easier to tolerate; now they are a tangible weakness.
Isak still finding his feet
Alexander Isak’s 30 minutes off the bench failed to change the game. Since his move from Newcastle he has shown glimpses but remains short on sharpness — his only goal so far came in the Carabao Cup against Southampton — and has not yet become the relentless presser Slot wants. Slot linked a second-half drop in intensity to Hugo Ekitike feeling a back problem just after the interval, saying that affected the team’s aggression in the press. Ekitike’s energy and pressing have been key to his quick rise in fans’ estimation, and for now Isak is not providing that same bite.
Overall, the PSV defeat exposed problems at both ends of the pitch: leadership and form issues among senior players, defensive uncertainty, and a lack of intensity from certain attacking options. Slot faces urgent selection and form questions if Liverpool are to arrest this run.