Did Liverpool Even Bother to Show Up? A Humiliating Carabao Cup Exit
Another day, another soul-crushing defeat for Liverpool. This time, Crystal Palace waltzed into Anfield and walked away with a 3-0 victory in the Carabao Cup, leaving fans wondering if Arne Slot had accidentally submitted his grocery list instead of a team sheet. The loss marks Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven games across all competitions. At this point, I’m starting to think my Sunday league team could give them a run for their money.
Slot, in his infinite wisdom, decided this was the perfect time to roll out the B-team. Or was it the C-team? Honestly, it felt more like he’d plucked a few lads from the local pub. He made a staggering ten changes from the lineup that fumbled against Brentford. Before the match, Slot told Sky Sports he was using the competition to give younger players a chance and rest his starters, citing a packed schedule. “There are multiple reasons why we have lost so many games,” he said. “With all the reasons, there is still no excuse to lose so many.” Well, Arne, you can add another loss to that pile of excuses.
The decision was met with a mix of resignation and outright fury from the fans. One supporter, Ryan from Sheffield, didn’t mince words, calling it “poor, poor management” and suggesting the higher-ups might start asking some tough questions if this disastrous run continues. You think, Ryan? The alarm bells aren’t just ringing; they’re screaming, and the fire is well and truly raging.
A Night to Forget for the Reds
The match itself was, to put it mildly, a train wreck. Liverpool started with a flicker of promise, as if they might actually try to win a football game. Debutant Kieran Morrison headed over the bar early on, and Rio Nguomoha curled a shot just wide. For a glorious twenty minutes, it almost looked like a competent team was playing in red.
But then, reality bit back, hard. Just before halftime, Crystal Palace decided they’d had enough of watching Liverpool pass the ball around aimlessly. Ismaila Sarr pounced on a defensive blunder to open the scoring. And because lightning apparently loves striking the same hapless team twice, Sarr found the net again right on the stroke of halftime, leaving Anfield in stunned silence. Joe Gomez’s misclearance for the first goal was the kind of stuff you see in a blooper reel, not from a senior defender at a top club.
The second half? Oh, it got worse. Any sliver of hope for a heroic comeback was promptly extinguished when Amara Nallo earned himself a red card for the second time in as many senior appearances. I’m no expert, but that seems… less than ideal. Down to ten men and trailing by two, Liverpool looked about as threatening as a sleeping kitten. To rub salt, pepper, and a whole vat of acid into the wound, Yeremy Pino added a third for Palace in the closing stages. Game over. Thanks for coming.
Player “Performances”: A Harsh Look
Let’s be real, handing out player ratings for this shambles feels like grading a toddler’s crayon scribbles. But here we go.
Calvin Ramsay, making a surprise appearance, was arguably Liverpool’s best player, which isn’t saying much. He looked “so comfortable” on the ball in the first half, a lone beacon of competence in a sea of mediocrity. He gets a 7/10 for at least looking like he knew which sport he was playing.
On the other end of the spectrum, Trey Nyoni was rated a brutal 4/10, described as “pretty ineffective” after being at fault for several promising moves breaking down. Amara Nallo also earned a 4/10 for his spectacular achievement of getting sent off again. At least he’s consistent.
Most of the squad hovered around the 5/6 mark, which is generous. Federico Chiesa was “starved of service,” while Milos Kerkez, a £40 million signing, “lost the ball too often.” It was a collective failure, a masterclass in how not to play football.
Arne Slot has now waved the white flag on a domestic cup, seemingly pinning all his hopes on turning things around in the Premier League. With a crucial game against Aston Villa on Saturday, the pressure is immense. If Liverpool delivers another performance like this one, the calls for Slot’s head won’t just be from disgruntled fans on social media; they’ll be echoing from the rafters of the Kop.
