Ian Doyle with the big talking points after Liverpool lost 4-2 at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Friday night
Virgil van Dijk reacts during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Liverpool at Villa Park on May 15, 2026(Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
It was the moment that perhaps encapsulated Liverpool’s season and ultimately exposed the shortcoming that has lingered throughout this dismal campaign.
And should the now very real fear of the Reds failing to achieve the bare minimum of Champions League qualification be realised, it is in danger of being deemed the final, devastating turning point.
With Arne Slot’s side having deservedly dragged themselves level here at Villa Park, there appeared no threat when, five minutes later, Dominik Szoboszlai received a throw-in from Milos Kerkez inside his own half.
But one unfortunate slip later and Morgan Rogers was invited to dance through and set up Ollie Watkins to regain a lead Villa never again looked like relinquishing.
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OPINION
Ian Doyle
No consolation to Szoboszlai that such things can happen to even the very best players, although that it should have been to Liverpool’s stellar performer this season seemed a touch unfair.
However, there was absolutely no excuse for the subsequent reaction from the collective Reds team who, for the umpteenth time this season, folded in desperate fashion in the wake of a piece of ill fortune.
There are myriad reasons. But the fight and heart has been drained out of this Liverpool squad after a campaign of endless setbacks, many of which have been entirely self-inflicted.
Certainly, the strong mentality, character and unshakeable belief that became the calling card of the Reds for much of the past decade is no more.
This is a meek, weak-minded Liverpool no longer capable of rolling with the punches. It’s not that the players here weren’t trying – indeed, in some cases, they were maybe guilty of trying a bit too much – but the confidence is shot, and with that they revert into their shells.
Of course, it would have helped had Alexander Isak, the British record £125million signing, not once again been absent. That he was missing from such a crucial game for Liverpool was somehow wholly appropriate.
But perhaps the most damning indictment is the silent manner in which the away end, which sought to back rather than berate the players, drifted off into the chilly Birmingham night.
There was no dissent, no great uproar. They simply weren’t surprised by what they saw. And neither was anybody else. This is Liverpool.
One game remains for the Reds to salvage something tangible from this campaign. But for a growing number, it may be too late.
The next few weeks are going to go a long way to shaping the future of Liverpool for years to come.
Ngumoha and Van Dijk deserve better
Rio Ngumoha hadn’t even kicked a ball here and he already found himself in exalted company. By making an 18th Premier League appearance, he moved alongside Michael Owen as having made the most for Liverpool while aged under 18.
That Ngumoha lined up for a second successive start – and his first on the road in the top flight – underlined both his growing impact and the lack of available options for Slot in attack, with both Isak and Jeremie Frimpong crying off and returning duo Mohamed Salah and Mohamed Salah fit enough only for bench duty.
Up against the seasoned Matty Cash, the 17-year-old found himself bumped off the ball on several occasions during the opening exchanges.
Ngumoha, though, kept coming back for more, and it wasn’t long before he was putting his more experienced opponent to the test, his ability to cut inside creating a chance for Ryan Gravenberch and, in the second half, ending with a shot that thumped against the woodwork.
He also lasted the full duration for the first time, another box ticked off in a burgeoning young career. Make no mistake, Ngumoha is now a fully-fledged option for the left side of the Liverpool attack.
At the other end of the scale, this was a 54th start of the season in all competitions for Virgil van Dijk who, aged 34 years 311 days, is the oldest Liverpool player ever to start so many games in a season.
The Dutchman, one first-half moment up against Watkins aside, did well defensively and his aerial prowess was important at both ends of the field, not least when twice heading in Szoboszlai deliveries. Both he and Ngumoha deserved better.
Slot’s unwanted records
So the records continue to rack up under Slot And very few of them are worth shouting from the rooftops.
The concession of another four goals – the first time they have leaked that many in a league game under the Dutchman – means the Reds have now let in 52 goals, beating their previous worst tally of 50 in 2013/14 and 2015/16.
They have also conceded a whopping 77 goals in all competitions, their highest number since allowing 79 in 1992/93.
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery’s first Premier League win over Liverpool at the 11th attempt means the Reds have now won only one and lost 11 of the 14 league games this season in which they have leaked the first goal.
And Slot’s men have lost 19 times in all this campaign, which doesn’t include the Community Shield in which they were ultimately defeated in a penalty shoot-out.
In retrospect, that Wembley loss was a sign of things to come for Liverpool this term. Mercifully it is now almost over.