So much for Liverpool having turned a corner.<\/p>\n
The hope provided by an impressive Champions League triumph over Marseille in midweek was whipped away by a dismal Premier League defeat at the hands of Bournemouth. One step forward, two steps back.<\/p>\n
This was another act of self-sabotage for their collection as Arne Slot\u2019s side rallied from 2-0 down to restore parity, only to capitulate late on when Amine Adli bundled home the winner from a long throw-in.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the fifth time this season Liverpool have conceded a result-defining goal deep into stoppage time, with a total of seven points frittered away. How costly they could prove to be.<\/p>\n
There was alarming regression in all departments on the south coast. An unconvincing 13-game unbeaten run had been built on greater defensive solidity, but twice in the space of seven first-half minutes, they were undone far too easily.<\/p>\n
Captain Virgil van Dijk\u2019s careless error was punished by Evanilson, and then Alex Jimenez cashed in on Milos Kerkez\u2019s failure to track his run as Van Dijk played him onside. How naive they were not to kick the ball out of play when down to 10 men as Wataru Endo waited to replace the injured Joe Gomez.<\/p>\n
What was just as concerning was how little fluency and creativity there was going forward, especially given Slot couldn\u2019t blame his nemesis, the low block, with the contest so open. Both their goals came from set pieces, with Van Dijk\u2019s header from a corner just before the break, followed by Dominik Szoboszlai\u2019s stunning strike after Mohamed Salah had rolled a free kick into his path.<\/p>\n
The visitors had 73 per cent possession in the second half, but before Szoboszlai scoring with 10 minutes to go, they hadn\u2019t mustered a single attempt on target since the interval.<\/p>\n
![\"Liverpool](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/25013345\/GettyImages-2258020714-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n Liverpool have taken just four points out of a possible 15 (Michael Steele\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n How Liverpool squandered momentum at 2-2. Rather than kick on, they wilted. Having lost their shape and their composure, they were fortunate not to concede before Adli finally settled it. Winless in five league matches so far in 2026, the champions have taken just four points out of a possible 15. Pressure and scrutiny have once again been cranked up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a few players who ran out of energy,\u201d Slot said. \u201cI cannot even criticise them for that because two days ago we had an away game in Europe. I mainly, as you see, play the same players because of the players we have available.\u201d<\/p>\n For context, Bournemouth had won just one of their previous 14 games and have a lengthy list of injuries, which includes Justin Kluivert, David Brooks, Ben Gannon-Doak, Marcus Tavernier and Tyler Adams.<\/p>\n Slot talked about \u201cdominating\u201d long periods, but the depleted hosts had more shots on target (five vs four), a higher xG (2.35 vs 0.93) and created six big chances as defined by Opta compared to one for the visitors.<\/p>\n What a mess that Liverpool spent most of the second half with their best midfielder in Szoboszlai playing right-back and a rusty holding midfielder in Endo at centre-back.\u00a0 That record-breaking \u00a3450million spending spree last summer was supposed to deliver a revamped squad equipped to deliver on all fronts, but the gaps are currently glaring.<\/p>\n Yes, there\u2019s been plenty of misfortune.\u00a0Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley both suffered season-ending knee injuries, while record signing Alexander Isak is out until at least March with a broken leg. Federico Chiesa is also currently sidelined with a muscle problem.<\/p>\n Liverpool have been walking a defensive tightrope since Leoni was injured in September, so reliant are they on the centre-back pairing of Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, given Gomez\u2019s Anfield career has been littered with injury setbacks.<\/p>\n However, the transfer strategy also has to be questioned because they could have taken decisive action to strengthen the squad this month. They could have rivalled Manchester City for Marc Guehi\u2019s signature, but decided the overall cost of the deal was prohibitive.<\/p>\n With Konate absent for the second successive game on compassionate leave following the death of his father, Gomez\u2019s first league start at centre-back since December 2024 was cut short after a painful collision with Alisson. Endo, who had played just 43 minutes of league football all season, found himself thrown into the back line alongside Van Dijk.<\/p>\n \u201cNow? Are we now short? That\u2019s your opinion,\u201d Slot said bluntly when asked about his depleted defensive ranks as he side-stepped talk about needing reinforcements. If Endo is needed to play at centre-back in the coming months, then Liverpool will be in serious trouble.<\/p>\n Slot has regularly commented on the size of his squad compared to some of his rivals, but it was a collective recruitment decision to spend \u00a3241m on two marquee signings last summer rather than spread that money around on more deals.<\/p>\n The Dutch head coach bemoaned fatigue and a lack of options on Saturday, but he didn\u2019t have to retain 10 of the 11 who started in Marseille. Recalling Andy Robertson and Curtis Jones would have made sense. When he felt the need to take off the tiring Jeremie Frimpong, he could have brought on Calvin Ramsay rather than move Szoboszlai there.<\/p>\n But part of the issue with the depth of the squad is that Slot is so reluctant to turn to certain personnel on the fringes. There\u2019s a lack of trust and that leads to some regulars being overworked.<\/p>\n \n Tottenham Hotspur are working on a deal to sign Andy Robertson (Ryan Pierse\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Not for the first time, young left-winger Rio Ngumoha should have replaced the ineffective Cody Gakpo much earlier. With Salah\u2019s barren spell for Liverpool stretching to eight appearances after a below-par display, there are deficiencies down both flanks.<\/p>\n Given Robertson\u2019s outstanding service over the past eight and a half years, it\u2019s understandable that Liverpool would listen to Tottenham Hotspur\u2019s interest in signing him this month. The Scotsman, who is out of contract this summer, wants to be playing\u00a0regularly ahead of the World Cup.<\/p>\n However, sporting director Richard Hughes also has to seriously question whether they can afford to weaken this group further by losing their vice-captain for the sake of a few million pounds. What\u2019s best for the club has to come first. Kerkez has improved significantly, but Saturday was a reminder that he\u2019s still far from the finished product.<\/p>\n Selling Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas returning from his loan at Roma as cover is one possible outcome, but there\u2019s a reason Liverpool offloaded the Greek left-back in the first place and why he\u2019s been unable to become a regular in Italy.<\/p>\n With Konate a free agent in the summer and question marks over the futures of players such as Salah, Chiesa and Gomez, more major surgery will be required this summer, and it won\u2019t come cheap.<\/p>\n Liverpool can lift the mood by securing their passage to the last 16 of the Champions League when they face Qarabag at Anfield on Wednesday.<\/p>\n They have largely been a different proposition in Europe, but a torrid sequence of domestic results has exposed frailties and turned a doomed title defence into a dogfight to retain their status among the continent\u2019s elite. Considering the business they need to do, missing out on those riches would have far-reaching implications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Liverpool's](\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/01\/25013640\/GettyImages-2257975769-scaled.jpg\")
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