Liverpool set a new unwanted Premier League record but also joined an exclusive club in their 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday evening.
Simply counting down the days until his players can lift the trophy in front of their own fans, Arne Slot put out another hotchpotch XI for the clash with the European-chasing Seagulls.
Two of the Dutchman’s fringe players combined well for the Reds’ opening goal, though, as Conor Bradley got to the byline on the right-hand side before squaring for Harvey Elliott to tap home.
Yasin Ayari replied for the hosts in front of the away supporters, but on the stroke of half time, Dominik Szoboszlai‘s cross-cum-shot from the right deceived Bart Verbruggen and sailed into the far side of the net.
Liverpool had ostensibly scored at the perfect time, but Fabian Hurzeler‘s men came storming back in the second 45 minutes, as Kaoru Mitoma levelled matters again before Jack Hinshelwood‘s bedlam-inducing winner.
Liverpool become first PL champions to lose next three games
Having also been forced to accept a draw with Arsenal in gameweek 36 and losing to Chelsea in gameweek 35, Liverpool are now the first team to fail to win any of their first three Premier League games after being crowned champions.
However, Slot’s men also achieved a desirable feat, as Elliott’s quickfire opener meant that the Reds will end the season having scored in each of their 19 away games in the tournament.
Liverpool are now just the third team to net in all of their road matches in a Premier League campaign, as both Arsenal and Manchester United did so in the 2001-02 campaign, when the Gunners wound up as champions.
Nothing that neither Arsenal nor Liverpool could have done this weekend impacted the Reds’ status as champions of England, though, and they will get their hands on the trophy after this weekend’s home showdown with Crystal Palace.
The Merseyside giants did have a magnificent chance to take a 3-1 lead on Monday night as Cody Gakpo squared for Mohamed Salah, but the Golden Boot favourite inexplicably missed from a couple of yards out with the goal gaping.
Slot reacts to shocking Salah miss in Brighton loss
Salah has now failed to score or assist in three straight Premier League matches for the first time this season, but Slot was unsurprisingly unconcerned and affirmed that the winger’s miss showcased his “human” qualities following his “un-human” season.
“The first thought that goes through my head when I see a ball moving towards Mo, I am like, ‘It’s a quite big chance, this could lead to a goal’ because that’s what Mo normally does,” Slot told journalists in his press conference.
“He has been throughout this season almost un-human, but there were moments in the season where he was human.
“So, it’s not the first time that he is not scoring for one or two games in a row, but the good thing for us is that this hardly ever happens and if it happens you can be sure he will score in either the third or fourth game again.”
Slot also responded to a question about Jeremie Frimpong‘s impending Liverpool move after the Bayer Leverkusen right-back reportedly completed his medical with the Premier League champions on Monday.
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