01/11/2025

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SATURDAY | NOV 1, 2025

Malaysian Paper

Slot under the cosh

Liverpool feel pressure to end ‘crisis’ run as City test Bournemouth limits

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

L IVERPOOL face an in-form Aston Villa as the Premier League champi ons look to arrest their remarkable collapse tomorrowy, while Arsenal aim to surge further clear in the title race. The Gunners hold a four-point lead over Bournemouth, who travel to Manchester City, before their trip to Burnley. Third-placed Tottenham are only five points off the top but are aiming to end a three-game winless run at home when they host London rivals Chelsea. Liverpool boss Arne Slot badly needs his star names to get back on track after being dumped out the League Cup by Crystal Palace on Wednesday to compound a miserable run for the Premier League champions. Slot made his priorities clear by making 10 changes as Palace cruised to a 3-0 win at Anfield against a youthful Liverpool selection. The Dutchman said he could not risk any more injuries to his key players with the visit of Villa quickly followed by clashes against Real Madrid and Manchester City. Five games into the Premier League campaign, Liverpool led Villa by 12 points. Four matches later they meet separated only by goal difference. Villa have overcome their difficult start with four consecutive wins, including notable scalps against Tottenham and City, to surge back into contention for the Champions League places. At the same time, Liverpool’s title defence has imploded. The Reds have not kept a clean sheet for 10 games as Slot struggles to find the right balance to a side disrupted by a huge squad turnover during the transfer window. Liverpool spent a Premier League record near £450 million (2.6b), but crucially lost more players than they recruited with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz particularly missed. “To see the champions lose four games in a row in the Premier League with the expenditure in the summer, I think we’re in crisis time for Liverpool right now,” said former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher. Jamie Redknapp has accused Slot of fielding a Liverpool team he knew was not good enough to beat Palace, before saying “everything” is a problem area at the club. “He made 10 changes from the weekend against Brentford. You can’t tell me he’s picked that team today and those subs, thinking, ‘That’ll get me a result against a really good Crystal Palace side.’ “You might hope you can, but I did not think for one second they could beat them and he has made a mistake today.” Redknapp also added: “It’s not just the defence, it’s not just the midfield, it’s everything right now. They have got to show some character. They’ve got some really tough games ahead.” The League’s longest unbeaten run faces

All matches at 10pm Malaysian time unless stated. TODAY Brighton vs Leeds Burnley vs Arsenal Crystal Palace vs Brentford Fulham vs Wolves Nottm Forest vs Man Utd TOMORROW Tottenham vs Chelsea (1.30am) Liverpool vs Aston Villa (4am) West Ham vs Newcastle MONDAY (12.30am) Man City vs Bournemouth TUESDAY (4am) Sunderland vs Everton

a stern test on Monday (12.30am) when Bournemouth visit the Etihad, hoping to land another blow to City’s title challenge. The Cherries have not lost since the opening night of the campaign at Liverpool to spark ambitions of qualifying for Europe for the first time in the club’s history. City are six points adrift of Arsenal after a 1-0 defeat at Villa last weekend ended their nine-game unbeaten run. Pep Guardiola’s fear that his side were becoming too reliant on Erling Haaland was realised. No City player other than the Norwegian has scored more than once in the Premier League this season. Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki have missed much of the opening few months of the season through injury, but both scored in a 3-1 League Cup win over Swansea in midweek to bolster the firepower at Guardiola’s disposal. Thomas Frank has made a fine start to solving Tottenham’s troubles on the road, but is yet to foster the “fortress” he desires at home. Of Spurs’ 17 points from nine games, 13 have come away from home thanks to impressive wins at Manchester City, West Ham, Leeds and Everton. But Bournemouth and Villa have won in north London either side of a disappointing 1-1 draw against bottom-of-the-table Wolves. “We would like our home to be a fortress,“ said Frank. “It cannot only be the team, it cannot only be the fans. It needs to be both. “We need to bring energy to each other. We need to work unbelievably hard, perform well, try to be positive.” Only a second League win over Chelsea since 2018 would quickly win over any doubters the Dane faces in the Spurs support. – AFP

Liverpool manager Arne Slot looks dejected after Wednesday’s Carabao Cup 4th round defeat against Crystal Palace at Anfield. – REUTERSPIC

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