Things are getting rough for Liverpool, especially at home. After a crushing 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Merseyside, their unbeaten start under Andoni Iraola is officially over. That loss pushed their Premier League home record to a grim winless streak that’s got everyone talking.
The Red Card That Broke Everything
You have to wonder what might have been against City. Liverpool really put in work for the first 60 minutes, going toe-to-toe with a side that rolled into Anfield with a perfect record. They were impressive, playing two different games as Iraola himself told Match of the Day after the final whistle. He said, “One until the red card, and then after. For 60 minutes, the players were very good. The second game from the red card was where City were better than us.” That red card to Ryan Gravenberch in the 62nd minute? Absolutely gutted them, and City just cruised to a statement win against a 10-man Liverpool. This isn’t just a bad loss; it also marks Iraola’s first Premier League defeat in 24 games, a run stretching back to January, including his time at Bournemouth. That’s a massive streak to snap, and to do it so dramatically at home? Ouch.
Anfield’s Fading Aura: “An Easy Touch”
Here’s the real kicker though: Liverpool is now winless in three Premier League home matches this season. Think about that for a second. While they have picked up wins at Anfield in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, their league form at home is a huge concern. This is only the second time ever they’ve been winless in three Premier League home games. And it gets worse: this winless run in the league stretches back to last season, meaning Liverpool is now winless in five successive Premier League home games, with four draws and one loss. Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock didn’t mince words on BBC Radio 5 Live, saying, “The best teams in the world are also horrible to play against. Liverpool aren’t horrible. They’re an easy touch at the moment. They have too many players that are nice and they have to change that part of things. Liverpool have got a lot of work to do. They don’t have enough leaders at the moment, apart from Virgil van Dijk barking orders.”
The stats back up the feeling that something has shifted. Going back to the start of the year, Liverpool has won just four games in 13 Anfield Premier League matches. They’ve actually won more matches away from home than at home during this period. While this season is still a small sample size, the club’s home form has clearly dropped off season by season since 2023-2024. Away sides historically have a lower win percentage at Anfield, a mere 12.5 percent, than at any other stadium in Premier League history. But is that legendary reputation disappearing? Ex-Man Utd midfielder Paul Scholes summed it up perfectly on The Good, the Bad and the Football podcast back in September: “When you go to Liverpool, especially when Jurgen Klopp was there, the crowd played such a major part. It feels like that’s gone… I don’t think the fans are quite on board at the minute with what’s happening there.” He added, “When we used to go there, I’d think, ‘how are we going to get the ball?’, because they were on top of you. Teams seem to have a lot more possession and look a bit more comfortable than they ever have.” His former teammate Nicky Butt piled on, saying, “The likes of Fulham five years ago are going to Anfield and they’re beaten before they even go up the steps.” Yikes. City’s class just highlighted all these simmering concerns.
Work To Do, And Fast
Andoni Iraola and his squad have got some serious soul-searching to do. They need to find that fight, that leadership, and that impenetrable aura at Anfield again. Because right now, the rest of the league is sniffing blood, and if Liverpool wants to turn this around, they have to make their home ground a nightmare for opponents once more. The work starts now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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