Anfield has typically been a fortress for away teams looking to come and get a result, but it’s now considered a happy hunting ground for visitors as Liverpoolregistered their ninth loss in 12 matches across all competitions – this time a 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. Jamie Carragher, in the wake of his former club’s chastening defeat, claims one players’ ‘legs have gone’.
Ivan Perisic drew first blood from the penalty spot within six minutes before Dominik Szoboszlai, who was arguably Arne Slot’s only decent player against the Eredivisie outfit, levelled proceedings ten minutes later in the 16th minute. That was the only sort of joy experienced by the reigning champions of the Premier League, though, as PSV turned things up a notch in the second half.
Guus Til, scoring his first-ever Champions League goal, then put the icing on the cake on a wonderfully-crafted PSV goal as he got the wrong side of Milos Kerkez and produced a first-time dink over Giorgi Mamardashvili and substitute Couhabi Driouech then scored twice to rub further salt in the wounds of Slot – who is now under serious pressure – and Co.
Watch the highlights from Liverpool 1-4 PSV Eindhoven below:
Jamie Carragher Singles Out Liverpool Players Whose ‘Legs Have Gone’
In the post-match aftermath, Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones pulled no punches with his assessment of their 4-1 defeat on home soil. “I don’t know, I don’t have the answers. I’m the same as everybody else. It’s just unacceptable to be honest. I don’t even have the words – I’m past being angry and sad. I’m now at the point where I don’t have the words… I’m a player and a fan and I’m seeing it like this where, for a long, long time, I haven’t experienced a team playing this bad.”
Carragher, however, went one step further and called out Mohamed Salah – who is widely regarded as one of the best players in the history of the Premier League – as he no longer looks light on his feet, claiming his ‘legs have gone’. The defender-turned-pundit started by suggesting that key trio Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Salah are not at their peak.
Focusing particularly on the latter, he said: “I think what you see now is, Liverpool in 2018 under [Jurgen] Klopp starts this sort of journey being a great team, and then Slot comes in, and we’re now seven or eight years later.
“The catalyst for Liverpool at the very start of that run was Alisson, van Djik and Salah. Alisson’s injured a lot now, so he doesn’t play so much, but you’re watching van Djik now, not the same player, and Mo Salah looks like his legs have gone.”
It was only last season when Salah was at his goal-getting best: the Egyptian plundered 34 goals and a further 23 assists in all competitions and Liverpool (practically) walked to the Premier League title. In 2025/26, he’s somewhat rusty – as evidenced by his relative lack of impact in the final third – and whether that is likely to change remains unknown.
Salah, though, is not the only Reds player to not be performing to the apex of their talent since they dropped off from their terrific start to the 2025/26 campaign. Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz – two players signed for mega money in the summer – are yet to prove themselves as fruitful business while the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister look like shadows of their former selves.
Carragher Wants More From Salah Off The Pitch
After such a defeat at Europe’s top table – just three weeks after beating Real Madrid 1-0 – Carragher has called on Salah, a player with plenty of experience and someone who is adored by the Anfield faithful, to be a bit more forward-facing in terms of the media. “I don’t like criticising them, and I think some of the criticism of them this season as players has been harsh. You’re always looking for your leaders in your team to step up when things are not going well,” he added.
Supporters of Liverpool are, expectedly, wanting some sort of transparency from the players, the manager, the owners in a time when they are desperately searching for some calm. Carragher, who played 737 times for the Reds, has called on Salah to step up to the plate to do just that as a way of easing the burden on Van Dijk.
“Now, I’ve been critical of Mo Salah off the pitch. I want him to come out and do an interview tonight and speak to the Liverpool supporters about what the players are going to do, what’s going on in the dressing room, give the supporters hope that things are going to improve.”
“But I don’t like criticizing on the pitch, because they’re absolutely legendary, what they’ve done, and the legs have just gone, especially with Salah. Van Djik now can’t help other players,” Carragher continued on the same point before adding, “He needs help himself, and that just means that he’s a normal centerback, like I was at one stage, and maybe he’s not super-human right now, but they’ve been that good for the football club.”