Liverpool suffered a 10th Premier League defeat of the season in going down 2-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. It's a result which damages the Reds' hopes of Champions League qualification but they remain fifth after Chelsea were beaten 3-0 by Everton later in the day.
The ECHO, as ever, was at the Amex Stadium to run the rule over proceedings. You can view our big-match verdict, player ratings, post-game analysis and the reaction of Arne Slot here.
Our colleagues from the national media were also on hand to give their own considered takes. Here's what they made of it as the Reds suffered a blow to their Champions League hopes for next season.
The Daily Mail's Lewis Steele writes: "Liverpool were left cursing as they followed a step forward with a mighty retreat backwards again. This game, without injured duo Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker, was a glimpse into the future but also a case of deja vu for Slot, who was haunted by the same old problems.
"It was a glorious afternoon in sunny Sussex by the sea and both sets of teams looked like they’d rather be on the beach in their deck-chairs at times in the first half. It was a mistake-laden opening period with a slow and lethargic tempo.
"That was the best way to describe Liverpool’s start as a couple of attempted passes went wildly wrong, one of them proving costly as stand-in goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili carelessly tossed away possession to concede a cheap throw-in.
"Brighton worked the resulting set-piece well with the move culminating in (Danny) Welbeck cupping his ear to the away end, or maybe England boss Thomas Tuchel just 24 hours on from being snubbed for the Three Lions squad.
"The header made it the 35-year-old’s best-ever goal-scoring campaign in the Premier League with seven games to spare after Diego Gomez headed back across goal. An efficient move but highly preventable with Liverpool guilty of several counts of statuesque defending."
Over on the pages of The Guardian, Sam Cunningham writes: "Arne Slot said the defeat started in 'the lead-up to this game' with injuries straight after a strong performance.
"'As has happened so many times this season, after we’ve played a good game, we couldn’t bring that level again,' the Liverpool head coach said. 'That has happened so many times to us this season.'
"The manner of Brighton’s goals summed up Liverpool’s problems: disjointed, out of sync, error-strewn. In the build-up to the first, Curtis Jones misplaced a pass intended for Jeremie Frimpong out for a throw-in.
"Moments later, the Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili – drafted after Alisson pulled out on Friday night – overhit a pass to Ibrahima Konate and the defender let it run under his foot. From the resulting throw-in, a deep cross was headed back across goal by Diego Gomez, and Welbeck was given freedom to head in from close range.
"Brighton took advantage of more defensive disorganisation for their second goal. When Yankuba Minteh crossed, nobody tracked Jack Hinshelwood at the back post and – once again – Welbeck was left completely free to turn the ball in."
The Independent's Jamie Braidwood writes: "The Reds have lost five games of their 10 games immediately after playing in Europe this season, winning four and drawing one, as they failed to back up Wednesday’s big win over Galatasaray to reach the quarter-finals.
"Already without Mohamed Salah and goalkeeper Alisson to injuries, Liverpool lost Hugo Ekitike to a dead leg following a heavy collision with James Milner in the opening five minutes and they were outworked by an energetic Brighton team who were fully deserving of their fourth win in five games.
"Liverpool also risk slipping from the Premier League’s top five after a run of three games without a win. While the impressive nature of Liverpool’s win over Galatasaray had lifted the mood following the defeat at bottom club Wolves and 1-1 draw with struggling Tottenham, there is pressure on Slot again ahead of a crucial stretch of the season."
On The Times, Hamza Khalique-Loonat reflects: "Any player that can sink the champions is surely a valuable one (to England's World Cup squad). However, beating Liverpool is not the achievement it used to be. It was around this point last year that the champions stopped playing like champions.
"They have taken 61 points from their last 38 matches, which includes 3-2 defeat here in May, which the away supporters — so high on the feeling of winning the league — seemed the happier with.
"It’s a rare feeling to play without pressure, and ironic given the Premier League this season is all about pressure, specifically man-to-man. That one tactic, according to coaches like Arne Slot, is responsible for the defensive football this season.
"The champions have been woefully inconsistent this season, which owes in part to a raft of injuries, which includes Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker, Alexander Isak, and now Hugo Ekitike — Liverpool’s top scorer this season — who sustained an injury in the opening minutes after contact with James Milner and was in visible pain as he trudged off the field."
And the ECHO's verdict reads: "One of the many problems Arne Slot has is that when you are head coach of a club the size of Liverpool, explanations can quickly start to sound like excuses.
"Slot may point to a turnaround time of around 60 hours between Wednesday night's visit from Galatasaray and this lunchtime kick-off, over 200 miles from Anfield. He may also direct a nod toward an injury list that saw him without Alexander Isak, Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker, to name just three.
"And he might even be justified in speaking about the early injury setback to 17-goal top scorer Hugo Ekitike, who was unable to continue after an early reducer from James Milner.
"But despite all of that, Liverpool are still expected to perform and they always will be, regardless of the circumstances. So those who had made it to the Amex Stadium in time for a kick-off that was delayed by 15 minutes were given very little to get behind on another damaging day for this Champions League quest.
"Slot may argue otherwise but the dearth of creativity in the final third has been evident all season in this league campaign that now sees them closer to the relegation zone than top spot. Try explaining that one."
