Losing games at Anfield is costing Liverpool psychologically, and they need to stop the rut before teams start seeing the stadium as a playground. Once upon a time, teams used to hate visiting Merseyside. Aptly described as one of the best stadiums in European football, Anfield struck fear into the hearts of visiting players as ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ rang around the stadium.
This wasn’t a mirage either, there are numbers to back it up.
Between April 2017 and January 2021, Anfield did not see a loss in the league: a streak spanning 68 matches. The hallowed ground was also witness to the longest streak of home wins in Premier League history, with 24 victories on the bounce during both the 18/19 and 19/20 seasons. This season, things are different.
Liverpool have lost two of the last three league games at home, racking up as many losses at Anfield as the previous 53 games before that. The last time the Reds lost as many matches on their home turf was during the disastrous 20/21 season, when they had no fit senior centre-backs and fans weren’t allowed in the stadium.
What we are currently seeing does not just tarnish the history books, it could have a very real impact on the rest of the season, with future visitors increasingly convinced that they can come to Anfield and win. Even when Liverpool were playing poorly, they could rely on home games to pick up points and get them back on track.
Take the 22/23 season for example: Liverpool had a disappointing campaign and finished fifth, but they still collected 44/57 possible points at home, only losing once in the process. The same was true of the following two seasons, with the Reds only tasting defeat at home once during each of Klopp’s final season and Slot’s first campaign.
Things are very different this time round.
Is Anfield less impressive than before?
When Crystal Palace travelled to Anfield at the end of October, they decimated the home side and claimed their third victory over them this season. The fact that it was a youth team, and that Slot had sacrificed the league cup fixture for harder fixtures later on, was little consolation after a 0-3 thrashing. Either side of that was a home loss to Manchester United — any Liverpool fan, young or old, will confirm that it is completely unforgivable to lose to the Red Devils at Anfield — and another 0-3 thrashing by a team that, until that day, were sitting in 19th place.
Aside from the result, the most shocking thing about the loss to Nottingham Forest was the lack of belief in the second half. Liverpool were playing well, and were unlucky to be a goal down, but they did not look like they were going to score. Ultimately, the relegation contenders left Anfield with three points, three goals and a clean sheet, an abysmal result for anyone associated with the home side.
The Premier League this season is arguably the hardest it has ever been. Grounds like Selhurst Park, the Stadium of Light and Turf Moor are very difficult places to visit, with positive results anything but guaranteed. If Liverpool cannot be sure of winning these gruelling away fixtures, and they don’t have faith in their ability to win at home, then it is looking like a perilous season indeed.
