Liverpool’s Anfield woes continued with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.
The visitors had fired an early warning shot when Timo Werner raced clear of an advancing Alisson to score, only for VAR to rule out his effort for offside.
But Mason Mount left no room for dispute with a right-footed strike just two minutes from the end of the first half after cutting inside the Reds’ defence.
Jurgen Klopp’s side missed out on a chance to move into the top four places and made club history with an unprecedented fifth consecutive home loss.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
Salah justified in letting rip
Another raw night for Liverpool was typified by Mohamed Salah’s reaction.
The Egyptian found himself hooked on 62 minutes in favour of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain while Curtis Jones made way for Diogo Jota’s anticipated return.
A need for fresh attacking options was undeniable, but coming at the expense of the player whose goals have kept his side’s season alive defied all logic.
Salah’s uncharacteristic outburst in the dugout made clear to his manager that the decision to take him out of the firing line was a head-scratching one.
Liverpool’s leading scorer had recorded two fewer touches than Roberto Firmino and seven more than Sadio Mane, both of whom saw out the game.
Adding further fuel to Salah’s personal fire was the fact that his team have now failed to score a goal on home soil in over 10 hours of open play.
For once, a player openly showing disdain had every right to field aggrieved.
From champions to chumps
The eight months since Chelsea’s previous visit to Anfield feel like an eternity.
Back then, the Londoners watched on as their hosts were crowned English champions; this time, they compounded Liverpool’s ongoing dethronement.
Jurgen Klopp’s side surrendered their Premier League title several weeks ago but the litany of records that accompanies it still make for truly grim reading.
A fifth straight home defeat is unparalleled in the Reds’ 129-year history while seven losses from their previous 13 top-flight outings is just as damning.
Trumping them, however, is the fact that Liverpool are on course to post the worst-ever return from a reigning champion in the Premier League era.
Their 43 points from 27 games is two fewer than Manchester United’s failed defence in 2013/14, when David Moyes was hailed as ‘The Chosen One’.
Statistics don’t lie and Liverpool’s are currently as bad as it could possibly get.
Anfield risks more Thursday nights
Thursday night football has become a semi-regular occurrence for Liverpool.
Since the start of 2021, broadcasting demands saw the champions play no fewer than three times at the tail end of midweek, including Chelsea’s visit.
But what remains a recent quirk could devolve into an unwanted habit if their quest for Champions League qualification continues to fall drastically short.
Competition for the final place in Europe’s elite club competition has greatly intensified with Everton and West Ham emerging as serious challengers.
Four points separate Liverpool from that all-important fourth spot but clawing back that deficit appears a tougher task when wrestling with genuine crisis.
Anfield tolerated Europa League football for more seasons than it would care to remember. Those inglorious days could be returning sooner than expected.
Nothing changes in Reds’ defence
The more things change in Liverpool’s defence, the more they stay the same.
Klopp fielded his 19th different centre-back combination against the Blues to facilitate Fabinho’s return, which in itself covered for injury to Nat Phillips.
The Brazilian’s presence alongside Ozan Kabak should have allowed the January recruit to gain a greater understanding of what his role entails.
Yet Kabak could be forgiven for questioning if he will still line up alongside Fabinho for Sunday’s visit of Fulham, unquestionably now a must-win game.
In his first five games for Liverpool, the Turkey international has already been partnered with three players in Phillips, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.
Admittedly those changes were largely enforced by injuries but the lack of cohesion that it brings to the central pairing is becoming a cause for concern.