As the travelling Liverpool fans flooded out of Etihad Stadium after the 4-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday afternoon, some took the opportunity to serenade a club legend. Unfortunately for head coach Arne Slot, it was not his name on their lips, nor was it that of any of his players. Instead, supporters sang for former midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is the fan-favorite choice to replace Slot in the dugout amid his team's increasingly desperate campaign.
To add insult to injury for the Dutchman, this fan exodus unfolded with more than 20 minutes remaining in the FA Cup quarterfinal tie. With the hosts already 4-0 up and cruising towards a place in the last four, even the most optimistic Reds supporters had abandoned hope of a late revival.
It was Liverpool's 15th defeat of the season in all competitions -- their most in a single campaign since 2014-15, when they lost 18 matches under the floundering Brendan Rodgers. It was also Slot's heaviest defeat as Liverpool boss, and the club's largest margin of defeat since the 7-2 mauling at Aston Villa in October 2020.
Having written himself into the pantheon of Anfield greats last season by winning the Premier League title at the first time of asking, Slot now finds himself presiding over one of the most turbulent spells in the club's recent history.
Wednesday night's UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first-leg clash with Paris Saint-Germain already felt hugely significant; now it is hard to escape the sense that it could make or break Slot's future at Liverpool.
Liverpool have lost their "fighting spirit"
Perhaps the most damning aspect of Liverpool's capitulation at the Etihad was that it bore a striking resemblance to their league visit to the stadium last November, when they lost 3-0 in the midst of a torrid run of nine defeats in 12 games.
Unlike on their last visit to Manchester, Liverpool started the game well on Saturday and fashioned two big chances, which were spurned by Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike respectively. Profligacy in front of goal has been an enduring issue for Slot's side this season and once again they were made to pay, as City dismantled them in a blistering 20-minute spell, scoring four goals either side of half-time.
Much like in the league fixture, Liverpool were too often the orchestrators of their own downfall. Captain Virgil van Dijk conceded a clumsy penalty for the first goal, before Ibrahima Konaté allowed Erling Haaland to bypass him too easily to net City's second just before the break.