Anfield witnessed a shocking display on Wednesday night as Crystal Palace defeated Liverpool 3-0 in the Carabao Cup, leading to audible jeers and "sacked in the morning" chants directed at Liverpool's manager, Arne Slot. This defeat marks the sixth loss in seven games for Liverpool, all occurring on English soil, intensifying the scrutiny on Slot, who previously guided the Reds to a Premier League title in his debut season.
Ismaila Sarr scored twice, and Yeremy Pino added a late goal, which triggered a mass exodus of Liverpool fans from Anfield. The chants against Slot began ahead of Palace's third goal, coinciding with a substitution decision that backfired spectacularly. Teenage center-back Amara Nallo, brought on as a substitute, was sent off just 12 minutes after entering the game, marking his second red card in as many senior appearances for Liverpool. He also received a red card in his debut against PSV last year.
Slot made 10 changes to the team, giving debuts to several young players. He explained that the League Cup is an opportunity for younger players to gain experience and to manage the risk of injuries within the squad.
Crystal Palace seems to be a difficult opponent for Liverpool, as they also ended Liverpool's winning start to the Premier League season last month. Furthermore, Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace team defeated Liverpool in the Community Shield. This recent defeat at Anfield was Slot's third loss against Crystal Palace.
Despite the growing pressure, Slot had previously downplayed an incident involving Crystal Palace fans during a tribute to the late Diogo Jota. During the Community Shield, some Crystal Palace fans disrupted a minute of silence for Jota, who died in a car crash with his brother Andre Silva last month. Slot believed that the fans did not have any bad intentions and were simply overexcited.
The defeat has sparked widespread reactions, with many analysts questioning Slot's tactics and team selection. The pressure is mounting on the Liverpool boss to turn things around quickly, or his position could become untenable. The quarter-final draw for the Carabao Cup has been made, with Arsenal set to face Crystal Palace.
