Liverpool 1 PSV 4: Abysmal Reds concede 10th goal in three games to lose yet again with Champions League place at risk

ARNE SLOT may have claimed to feel guilty for Liverpool’s spectacular fall from grace.

But last night against PSV the men at fault were on the pitch, not in the coaching zone.

Liverpool’s woeful run of form continuedCredit: EPA

PSV Eindhoven had a memorable night at AnfieldCredit: Shutterstock Editorial Boss Slot called their eight losses in 11 games “ridiculous and unbelievable” — but he needs to come up with some answers quickly after his side got even worse here.

Skipper Virgil van Dijk did hold his hands up — well, one of them — as he handballed inexplicably in the area in front of the Kop to set the tone for another sorry night.

Saturday’s dismal 3-0 home humbling by Nottingham Forest was a shocking sixth Prem defeat in seven for the title holders.

How long can Slot survive now that the Champions League form has gone the way of the Prem performances?

Only owners Fenway Sports Group will know the answer to that.

But the Dutchman certainly was not helped in any way by his captain last night.

Van Dijk started off this disastrous display with the handball that gave Ivan Perisic the spot-kick opener.

Dominik Szoboszlai grabbed an equaliser but Guus Til, who played under Slot at AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, came back to haunt him to put PSV back in the lead before Couhaib Driouech hit two to compound the misery.

BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS

The Kop love their big nights in Europe and the 1-0 win over Real Madrid was one of those early this month — but that was a false dawn.

Instead of triumphalism, then, and even on the back of 13 successive Champions League group or league phase wins in a row on Merseyside, there was an air of fear and loathing mingling with the dank, cold air.

And the fans weren’t wrong to feel that way, either as their fallen heroes slumped to a third three-goal defeat in a row.

Slot had given his view on the form and Cody Gakpo revealed that he and his team-mates held crisis conversations on Sunday.

Virgil van Dijk gave away an early penaltyCredit: Getty

But it was clearly just all talk from the Premier League champions.

And the last thing anybody needed was to go a goal down after just six minutes to the Eredivisie leaders.

Peter Bosz’s side arrived on Merseyside as top scorers across the top seven divisions in Europe and right from the start they smelled blood.

Van Dijk jumped for a cross, looked like he was playing basketball with his right arm high in the air and Spanish referee Alejandro Hernandez was not having his claims that he was pushed.

Perisic tucked the spot kick away, beyond Giorgi Mamardashvili, back in for Alisson due to the Brazilian No1’s illness and Van Dijk became the only Prem player this season to have conceded three penalties in all competitions.

Dominik Szoboszlai equalised for LiverpoolCredit: EPA

But Arne Slot was left with his head in his handsCredit: Getty But in the 16th minute Gakpo darted forward and shot. Goalkeeper Matej Kovar was only able to parry straight out, leaving Szoboszlai with a simple tap-in for Liverpool’s 500th European goal at home.

Slot and his players needed that break desperately, but any lift in spirits didn’t last long.

In the 56th minute Mauro Junior sent forward a ball that left Van Dijk and the bundling Ibrahima Konate for dead and Til tucked away calmly.

With 17 minutes left the sentence on Slot’s fumbling, crumbling players was one of complete failure, near incompetence, even as Driouech found space, struck the post then slammed home his side’s third.

And just to rub salt into wounds, the sub produced another strike.

The guilty men, indeed, booed to the gallows, Liverpool now labouring under their worst run since 1954.