Digging Deeper Into Liverpool’s 0-2 (0-4 agg.) Defeat to PSG

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 14: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, and Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool look dejected after the team's defeat in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain FC at Anfield on April 14, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) | Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Despite actually playing well for around an hour in the pouring rain, Liverpool suffered defeat at Anfield and are knocked out of the Champions League by the current champions. PSG were simply the better team, once again, and now all eyes return to the Premier League to secure a chance to return to this tournament next season – only we’ll be without Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, as we squandered their last night under the lights for Liverpool in Europe.

Winners and Losers

Loser: Liverpool

I mean what else is there to say? It was the last chance to get through to the semi-finals and though at times Liverpool did control the match, they never looked like they were able to carry the ball to the goal in a constructive way, and even resorted to long range rockets to the sky in the second half. Our most effective striker, Hugo Ekitike, came off early in the first half with a non-contact injury, having to be stretchered off due to what looks like an Achilles tear. Absolutely heartbreaking for not only the team, but especially the French striker who has been leading the goal scoring this season, would likely feature in the World Cup, and honestly looked really bright and energetic out there. Alexander Isak was trusted with the start but came off at halftime after not making much of a difference, and we were left with Salah and Cody Gakpo who were also ruled ineffective. It looked very much like we tried our best, but our best simply wasn’t good enough.

Winner: Anyone who wants Slot gone

This whole week was billed as very important to the coach’s prospects of not getting fired at the end of the season, regardless of FSG’s public plans for keeping him through the next season. If we had gone through in the FA Cup and the Champions League, there would’ve been more argument for keeping Arne Slot around. The Champions League is an essential part of the lore of Liverpool Football Club. It just is, there is no getting around it, and one of the most important tournaments to do well in if you want to succeed at this club. It is a vital part of the expectations for any coach or manager. If we can manage to stay in at least fifth in the Premier League, and make sure we return to Europe next season, that might be another conversation, but right now more evidence is stacking against the Dutchman than for him.

Dissecting the Narrative

The right back position is cursed, with Joe Gomez coming on at halftime and coming off hardly fifteen minutes later. The squad might as well be cursed now too, honestly, with another huge injury taking out an important player just as another is primed to return from their own horrific injuries. It all adds another layer to the struggle of the season as different problems have certainly come home to roost. We didn’t adequately fill spaces left behind by players departing last summer, and the ones we do have keep getting injured, leaving more work for the ones that have avoided the injury curse. There are also some questions regarding our strength and conditioning – something a head coach should be overseeing – that have gotten us to this point, but the hits just keep coming regardless of who gets the blame.

What Happens Next

No more Champions League, so we have to focus on the rest of the Premier League, and there is an even rougher road ahead. Liverpool finally visit the new Everton stadium on the weekend, Crystal Palace come to visit 6 days after that, and then it is Manchester United at Old Trafford. Not exactly an easy run in to stay in fifth place, but we cannot finish lower than that if we want to return to that tournament, and time is running out with literally only six matches left in the league. 6 more chances to enjoy Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson in red.