Why is it all going wrong for Liverpool?

That is how the conversation changed after Sunday’s 1-4 loss to Manchester City. It was Liverpool’s third successive home defeat, a first since 1963.

It was either the commentators or the studio pundits who said the challenge facing Liverpool now is to stay in contention for a Champions League berth. Not defend the Premier League title they romped to ending 30 years of hurt, not go deep in the Champions League, which they won in 2019, but avoiding Thursday night football in Europe or worse.

That is how the conversation changed after Sunday’s 1-4 loss to Manchester City. It was Liverpool’s third successive home defeat, a first since 1963. “This is Anfield,” doesn’t have the ring of invincibility anymore, doesn’t instill cold, clammy fear among visiting teams when Liverpool stayed unbeaten at home for 68 games before Burnley ended the run last month. Playing behind closed doors has replaced the intimidating with the bland and someday, Liverpool had to lose but Sunday showed that it was possibly a symptom of a greater malaise.

It matched Liverpool’s worst loss at Anfield in the Premier League, one that came over 15 years ago when Frank Lampard, Damien Duff, Joe Cole and Geremi Njitap scored in Chelsea’s 4-1 win; Steven Gerrard getting the home team’s only goal. This was also City’s first win at Anfield since 2003 and Pep Guardiola’s first as their coach in six attempts. “In February, no one is champions,” said Guardiola.

Maybe, but with 14 straight wins —only Preston North End and Arsenal have done that but in the 19th and the 20th centuries— including 10 in the league, City lead the standings by five points over nearest rivals Manchester United, with a game in hand. And to think they had gone in at half-time with Ilkay Guendogan having missed a penalty that had Guardiola visibly disgusted.

How Liverpool’s season pans out could be clear in the next fortnight when they play Leicester City and RB Leipzig away before hosting Everton. Coach Juergen Klopp has acknowledged that sealing a Champions League berth is now Liverpool’s main target. “There is enough games to play to secure them but we have to win games," he said after a brace from Guendogan and a goal each from Raheem Sterling and the brilliant Phil Foden left Liverpool deflated and in fourth place, 10 points adrift of City having played a game more.

Even though City looked in better rhythm, the Reds were in the game when Mo Salah cancelled out Guendogan’s first goal with a 63rd minute penalty. But then, Alisson had two momentary lapses of reason— even thrice may not be too harsh on the world’s most expensive goalkeeper who, according to BBC, cost Liverpool 66.8 million pounds in 2018. In the 73rd minute, the Brazilian’s attempt to play out from the back was intercepted by Foden, who shone as a right-side midfielder after starting as a false nine, and Guendogan scored again. Three minutes later, Alisson mispassed to Bernando Silva and Sterling netted his first goal at Anfield since leaving in 2015. And when Foden cut in and fired home, Alisson could have stayed tall.

“Ali has saved our life plenty of times and tonight he made two mistakes, that's how it is," said Klopp. He told Sky Sports: “There is not a real explanation. Maybe he had cold feet? It sounds funny but it could be.” Klopp also said, “‘I said to him: ‘We have stands, you can shoot the ball there.’ It’s a mistake, but different things came together.”

Among the “different things” could be nine points from nine games since the 7-0 away win at Crystal Palace last December in an injury-riddled season that has seen Liverpool use 12 pairs as central defenders. That this is the oldest Liverpool squad, in terms of minutes played, in the history of the Premier League with seven players featuring in 80% of the games, as pointed out by The Athletic, could also be a reason. Alisson’s brain fade didn’t help but that Liverpool had one shot on target in the second half told its own story. This term, Liverpool have struggled often against low blocks.

The bench too hasn’t contributed. In eight league games, six as substitutes, Divock Origi has no goals or assists; Xherdan Shaqiri has been ineffective—0 goals, 2 assists in nine games, five as subs; Naby Keita and Diogo Jota are injured. Centre-backs have been bought and the sooner they fit in the better, for unless you are Javier Mascherano at Barcelona, midfielders usually don’t succeed at the heart of the defence. Compounding problems on Sunday were full backs Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson’s lack of defensive form.

In a season this crunched because of the pandemic, coaches have little time to find solutions. So Klopp wouldn’t mind the six-day break before playing Leicester. He has turned things around once at Dortmund. Can he do it again?

“If we play like we did for a long time tonight, we will win football games,” AFP quoted Klopp as saying.