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3 min readFeb 9, 2026 07:24 PM IST
Liverpool lost 2-1 vs Manchester City at Anfield. (PHOTO: AP)
Defending Premier League champions Liverpool’s slump continued this season with a 2-1 home defeat to arch-rivals Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday night, their eighth loss in 25 league games. Following the match, football pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher argued that the Reds risk missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification if their current form persists.
When asked if Liverpool would secure a Premier League top-five finish, which will yield an expanded five Champions League places this season, Carragher told Sky Sports: “No. Right now I don’t. They would have to have a huge upturn in form. And the ones above them are in great form.”
After a goalless first half, Liverpool took the lead through Dominik Szoboszlai in the 74th minute. The advantage lasted just nine minutes, however, as Bernardo Silva equalised in the 84th. Erling Haaland then delivered a devastating injury-time winner in the 93rd minute to seal victory for City.
Reflecting on the defeat’s impact, Carragher said, “It’s a bad one. When you look at the league for Liverpool, it looks like a long way to get into the top five Champions League positions. There’s a gap now. You can make that up, but Liverpool will have to do well in the two cup competitions to save the season.”
The Reds face a midweek trip to Sunderland, where manager Arne Slot faces a defensive crisis. All three right-backs, Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong through injury, and Joe Gomez, a fitness doubt, are unavailable. Szoboszlai, who filled the role against City, is also suspended following his sending off.
“When you look at Liverpool’s bench for the game against Sunderland in midweek, Szoboszlai won’t be playing now and they’ve got a problem at right-back,” Carragher was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
On what is required to get Liverpool back on track, Carragher pointed to fundamental issues with squad balance and uncharacteristic errors from key players.
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‘Team isn’t right’
“A lot of Liverpool’s season is about mistakes you cannot believe from players of that calibre,” he said. “Virgil van Dijk at Bournemouth, Alisson (against Man City)… You can’t believe a goalkeeper of his calibre makes the decision to do that for the penalty.”
He added, “The manager has another decision to make on the front four. If Liverpool continue the way they are, with a front four and the games end to end, I just don’t see how they can make the Champions League positions. But no matter what Arne Slot does, the make-up of this squad and team isn’t right. It never looks stable, they are never in control. There is a long road ahead for Liverpool to make the Champions League places.”
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