Brighton stun Liverpool to dent Arne Slot's top-four hopes: How long can the Dutch manager survive?

Tough times ahead for Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Image credits – Heute; licence details).

Liverpool failed to grab another opportunity to climb into the top four of the Premier League after Brighton stunned the Reds 2-1 as Danny Welbeck bagged a stunning brace. The Englishman scored a goal in each half after Milos Kerkez had equalised for Arne Slot's side in the first half. Liverpool fell to their 10th league defeat this season and are going through one of their worst seasons in recent years. 

Fabian Hurzeler’s side was phenomenal in the second half and was rewarded for their performance early in the second half when Yankuba Minteh’s cross was tapped in home by Welbeck. The Seagulls exposed Liverpool's fragile backline at regular intervals and could've scored more goals had Mamardashvili not rescued them. The Reds, without Mo Salah up front, were quite blunt and had merely any threat for the Brighton defenders.

Arne Slot's side had gained some valuable confidence following their emphatic win over Galatasaray in the Champions League last week but fell to yet another defeat in the Premier League as their title defence reached another low. The Reds have lost ten league games in a season for the first time since the 2015-16 season, and it's only the seventh time when the defending champions have lost ten games or more, and it's the first a title-defending team has done since Chelsea in the 2017-18 season.

Liverpool's fragile backline has already leaked 42 goals this season, which is more than what they had conceded in each of their last two seasons. Brighton deservedly snatched all the three points at home, dominating the defending champions. The home side secured an xG of 2.17 from 16 shots while the visitors secured an xG of 1.03 from 12 shots.

Paris Saint-Germain would be ‘licking lips’ at the thought of facing Liverpool in the quarter-finals

Liverpool’s performance against Brighton drew heavy criticism from fans and pundits who have already declared Paris Saint-Germain the clear favourites against the Reds in the upcoming Champions League quarter-final tie. With such a run of form, tactical instability and defensive lapses, the defending UCL champions could turn things pretty ugly for Arne Slot's side.

Liverpool do not look like a team capable of winning the Champions League, and even finishing top four looks bleak now. If the Premier League gets a fifth spot for the UCL, they could get to the fifth spot and qualify, but they'll compete with Chelsea for that spot, who are right behind them, sitting in sixth position. Slot admitted that the Reds couldn't cope with the injuries of Alisson and Salah while admitting that his side deserved to lose against Brighton.

"As so many times has happened this season, when we played a very good game [against Galatasaray] and we thought we could bring that level to the next game, or even better, we had Mo Salah injured, we had Alisson injured and, after two minutes, Hugo Ekitike out,” said the Liverpool boss in the post match interview. (sic)

He further added, “That has happened to us so many times this season and what happened to us a lot this season is that the first chance of the other team immediately went in. But in the second half Brighton were the better team and deserved to win.” (sic)

This was the performance that raised an alarm before the big game against PSG after the international break. Liverpool aren't just blunt up front; their defensive line is exposed, and even the midfield lacks creativity. The things that used to be their strength last season have become their weakness this season. Liverpool's midfield neither controls the game like how Barcelona's midfield does nor protects the defence like how Arsenal's midfield does. Against a team like Paris Saint-Germain, which thrives on transition and quick counter-pressing, Liverpool are cooking a recipe for disaster.

Along with that, Liverpool's risky high-line approach against PSG could leave them vulnerable. Konate and Virgil van Dijk will be completely exposed on the break if Paris Saint-Germain bypass their pressing and expose the high line. Unlike Klopp's side, which displayed relentless energy throughout ninety minutes, Slot's side often becomes lethargic in the end, losing concentration, and because of that, the tactical system of the Dutchman loses its cutting edge.

Liverpool have been tactically too predictable this season, while the French giants are one of the most tactically disciplined sides in Europe, like FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich. They carry the pace up front, midfielders who control the tempo of the game, and unlike the Reds', they finish their chances whenever they get them. Liverpool are not a bad team, but against Paris Saint-Germain at the moment it seems like a mismatch, and the scoreline could get bad for the Scousers if they do not fix their problems soon.

"This is a backwards step for Liverpool, you just don't know what you are getting from this team. The spine of the team is not there. They are looking around saying 'what's going on?'. They can't find an answer,” said former Premier League goalkeeper Rob Green. (sic)

"If they go and play like that in Paris, it could be 10-0. That's how bad Liverpool were today. Brighton weren't clinical and tried to walk it in, but PSG will be clinical. It's very, very worrying for Liverpool,” said former Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock, expressing his frustration at the team's performance. (sic)