Liverpools…

BOURNEMOUTH, England — If there were a trophy for self-sabotage in the Premier League, it would undoubtedly bear the name of Liverpool. Time and again this season, under the management of Arne Slot, the team has been responsible for its own demise. This was evident again on Saturday, as they suffered a late 3-2 defeat against AFC Bournemouth.

The positive momentum generated by their UEFA Champions League 3-0 victory over Marseille earlier in the week was quickly overshadowed by the rain-soaked atmosphere of the south coast when Amine Adli‘s last-minute winner clinched the win for the hosts at Vitality Stadium.

Virgil van Dijk led the protests from Liverpool as Bournemouth celebrated, yet there was no late intervention from VAR. Once again, Slot’s squad found themselves accountable for their own misfortune.

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After Dominik Szoboszlai scored a brilliant free kick in the 80th minute to level the game, it seemed as though Liverpool would finally gain the upper hand. However, neither team was willing to concede, resulting in opportunities for both sides before Adli found the net in the dying moments.

Adli’s late strike ended Liverpool’s unimpressive 13-game unbeaten streak and put further pressure on coach Slot. With only four points collected from the last 15 available, the Reds are jeopardizing their Champions League qualification hopes. They could fall to eighth place in the standings if their opponents secure victories on Sunday.

Slot’s team is still searching for their first league win of 2026, having amassed just two points from matches where they were trailing. This is a stark contrast to their last season, where they came back to claim 23 points from losing situations.

Liverpool’s season-long difficulties were epitomized by a difficult seven-minute stretch in the first half, during which they conceded two goals and lost defender Joe Gomez to injury. Bournemouth’s opening goal came unexpectedly after a poor clearance from Van Dijk fell to Alex Scott, who assisted Evanilson to score from close range.

Slot defended his captain by attributing the mistake to the strong winds within the stadium, but this season has seen numerous individual errors cost Liverpool dearly. The visitors’ troubles escalated when a clash between Alisson and Gomez while attempting to clear the ball resulted in Gomez being forced off.

In a baffling turn of events, Liverpool did not stop play to allow for a substitution despite Slot’s fervent appeals from the sidelines. By the time makeshift center back Wataru Endo entered the field in the 33rd minute, Liverpool was already down 2-0 following a well-executed strike from Álex Jiménez.

“There were only seven minutes where I wouldn’t even say we were struggling, but where the other team was part of the game as well, and in those seven minutes, we conceded two,” Slot said in the post-match interview.

“Of course, the second one was when we were down to 10 due to the first goal. Joe Gomez had to exit with an injury; he wanted to try, but then he couldn’t. And perhaps that sums up our season. Every time something else happens. We consistently find ourselves conceding due to our own mistakes.”

Perhaps the most disheartening aspect of Saturday’s loss for Slot was his team’s ability to recover from early setbacks and equalize, with Van Dijk scoring a well-placed header just before halftime.

Slot has previously expressed frustration over his team’s inefficiency from set pieces this season, with Van Dijk’s goal marking only the second Liverpool scored from a corner out of 118 attempts in the Premier League. Szoboszlai’s second goal also stemmed from a set piece, but their struggle was further reflected when Adli’s winner came from a long throw-in.

Only Bournemouth (17) has conceded more goals from set pieces than Liverpool (14) this season. Adli’s goal also marked the fifth conceded by the Reds after the 90th minute, all resulting in narrow losses or draws.

“Conceding a goal is always frustrating, especially when there’s no time left to recover,” Slot commented.

“But it’s fair to say that Bournemouth could have scored the 3-2 earlier. I think after we equalized, while some players were still trying, a few ran out of energy. I can’t blame them for that, given we played an away match in Europe just two days prior. Our situation was unique as the only team playing Champions League football with a short turnaround between away games against a highly demanding opponent.”

Slot rightly points out the limited options currently available to him. With Gomez injured, Liverpool now has just two fit senior center-backs, one of whom, Ibrahima Konaté, is on compassionate leave due to his father’s passing.

Striker Hugo Ekitike was on the bench against Bournemouth to manage his playing time, as Slot wants to prevent overworking his only senior center forward while Alexander Isak is still recovering from a broken leg. Both Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez also had to be substituted to manage their fitness on Saturday.

With such scarce options and a demanding fixture schedule, it may be a significant risk for Liverpool not to strengthen their squad before the transfer window closes on February 2.

The fact that Andy Robertson had to play 45 minutes at left-back after Kerkez’s withdrawal underscores the peril of allowing him to leave to Tottenham Hotspur this month.

In many respects, Liverpool is still a fragile team. The physical and mental resilience that supported their title win last season seems absent this year, and there’s little evidence that a turnaround is on the horizon. Solid performances are often followed by stuttered, error-laden displays.

As the game concluded, Slot and his team exited the pitch looking dejected, drenched to the skin. Indeed, when it rains, it pours for Liverpool this season.