Liverpool suffered a humiliating exit from the League Cup on Wednesday as Crystal Palace’s 3-0 victory at Anfield deepened the crisis surrounding Arne Slot’s side.
Ismaila Sarr scored twice in the first half before Yeremy Pino sealed the win, condemning Liverpool to their sixth defeat in seven matches across all competitions.
Slot opted to rest several key players ahead of upcoming clashes against Aston Villa, Real Madrid, and Manchester City, but the decision backfired badly. The result followed a 3-2 loss at Brentford on Saturday, leaving Liverpool’s Premier League title defence in tatters — the Reds have now lost four straight league games and sit seven points behind leaders Arsenal.
“It’s not the Liverpool standard to lose six of seven,” Slot admitted. “But with only two days’ rest between games and so many injuries, this is the choice I made. The pressure is already high with the big fixtures ahead.”
Liverpool’s struggles have been compounded by defensive lapses and poor form from high-profile summer signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. None of them — along with Mohamed Salah or Virgil van Dijk — featured, as Slot made 10 changes and started teenagers Kieran Morrison, Rio Ngumoha, and Trey Nyoni.
The young lineup never found its rhythm. Palace, who have now beaten Liverpool three times in just 80 days, struck first when Joe Gomez’s error allowed Sarr to fire home in the 41st minute. The Senegalese winger doubled the lead moments later, finishing from Pino’s assist in front of a stunned Kop.
Substitute Amara Nallo was sent off late on, and Pino added a third in the 88th minute to secure Palace’s place in the quarter-finals, where they will face Arsenal.
Elsewhere, holders Newcastle beat Tottenham 2-0 at St James’ Park to set up a last-eight meeting with Fulham, while Manchester City came from behind to defeat Swansea 3-1, earning a home tie against Brentford.
Arsenal extended their winning run to eight games with a 2-0 victory over Brighton, courtesy of goals from Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka. The match also saw 15-year-old Max Dowman become Arsenal’s youngest-ever starter — a moment Mikel Arteta described as “something special.”
Chelsea edged Wolves 4-3 in a thrilling encounter to book a quarter-final trip to third-tier Cardiff, with Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, Estevao Willian, and Jamie Gittens all on target for the Blues. Striker Liam Delap was sent off late on, prompting manager Enzo Maresca to call his dismissal “stupid” and “embarrassing.”
