After an embarrassing 4-1 defeat to Napoli, Liverpool are in desperate need of a response against Wolves on Saturday, but can we expect them to bounce back straight away?
The Reds need to find form, and they need to find it fast.
Right now, Jurgen Klopp‘s side are a shadow of the team that has won trophy after trophy in recent seasons.
There have been other rough spells during the German’s time in charge and, eventually, Liverpool have managed to overcome them.
The same needs to happen sooner rather than later, and this Saturday’s fixture against Wolves is where they must start.
So what does history suggest will happen in the Reds’ next game and in the coming weeks? Here, we look at how Liverpool responded to their other eight worst defeats under Klopp.
Watford 3-0 Liverpool – December 2015
Next game: Liverpool 1-0 Leicester
Bad, bad memories of this one. Months into Klopp’s reign, Liverpool’s last game before Christmas saw them beaten 3-0 at Vicarage Road, in a defeat that saw them slip to ninth in the Premier League table.
Their next match came on Boxing Day, where Christian Benteke netted the winner in a 1-0 win over Leicester at Anfield, but they would only manage one league win in January.
They did, of course, go on to reach the League Cup and Europa League finals later that season, but could only manage an eighth-placed finish in the league.
Watford 3-0 Liverpool – February 2020
Next game: Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool (FA Cup)
Another forgettable trip to Hertfordshire during Liverpool’s league title-winning season. This was the game that saw Liverpool’s hopes of an unbeaten Premier League season come to an end, bringing an 18-match winning run to an end.
There were only three games after that before football came to a halt due to the Covid pandemic. Those three results were a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals, a 2-1 win over Bournemouth at Anfield and that Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool – May 2019
Next game: Newcastle 2-3 Liverpool
This defeat came off a run of 10 consecutive victories in all competitions, and we all know what happened in the second leg. In truth, the Reds were very unfortunate to lose in the way that they did at Camp Nou.
The following match was a dramatic win at Newcastle, courtesy of a textbook Divock Origi winner, before the Reds produced the best European night in Anfield history to beat Barcelona three days later.
A minor blip in a season that would see them go on to win their sixth European Cup.
Liverpool 1-4 Man City – February 2021
Next game: Leicester 3-1 Liverpool
An afternoon to forget for Alisson. This game came in the heart of Liverpool’s defensive injury crisis in the 2020/21 season, and it was no real surprise to see City pick the Reds apart. They went on to score four, inflicting the Reds to their third successive home defeat.
It wouldn’t get any better in the coming weeks, with Klopp’s side beaten by Leicester in their next game, one of four league matches they’d lose in their next five fixtures.
Tottenham 4-1 Liverpool – October 2017
Next game: Liverpool 3-0 Huddersfield
The day Dejan Lovren was substituted after half an hour. This was a truly bleak afternoon for the Reds at Wembley.
What followed, though, was an 18-match unbeaten run, and three clean sheets in their next four games.
This would prove to be something of a turning point in Liverpool’s season, and lets hope the same applies to the defeat at Napoli.
Man City 4-0 Liverpool – July 2020
Next game: Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa
The most forgivable 4-0 defeat in Liverpool’s history? Probably. This match came days after the Reds had been crowned league champions for the first time in 30 years.
Previous champions City gave Klopp’s side a guard of honour as they emerged for the match. That alone was pretty much enough to make up for the eventual scoreline.
After this, Liverpool won four of their six remaining league matches to finish 18 points ahead of City.
Man City 5-0 Liverpool – September 2017
Next game: Liverpool 2-2 Sevilla
Would this game have finished 5-0 if Sadio Mane hadn’t been sent off for a high boot on Ederson? No.
This was Liverpool’s first defeat of the 2017/18 season, having beaten Arsenal 4-0 in their previous league encounter.
It was a result, though, that derailed their progress somewhat, with the Reds only winning one of their next seven matches.
Aston Villa 7-2 Liverpool – October 2020
Next game: Everton 2-2 Liverpool
One of the most bizarre defeats in the club’s history. Liverpool went into this one having won their first three matches of the season, looking to retain their league title.
Here, they were torn apart in a similar way to what we saw in Naples on Wednesday, conceding seven for the first time in nearly 60 years.
The next game was the Merseyside derby that would have a huge effect on the rest of Liverpool’s season, with Virgil van Dijk sustaining a season-ending knee injury.
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