Liverpool suffered a ninth defeat in just 12 games in all competitions, as they were beaten 4-1 by PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.Here, Sky Sports' Adam Bate assesses the key issues hampering Arne Slot's side at present. Van Dijk's form is a worry Image: Virgil van Dijk conceded an early penalty in Liverpool's crushing defeat Virgil van Dijk decided to tackle Wayne Rooney's criticism from a position of strength after a clean sheet and victory over Real Madrid but three consecutive three-goal defeats have put his form firmly back in the spotlight and he was culpable once more. The difficulty for Van Dijk is that he is a natural leader. He embraces that responsibility and feels comfortable directing his teammates around the pitch, offering words of encouragement and the odd rebuke. That all looks different when his own form dips. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Micahel Dawson and the Soccer special panel react to Virgil Van Dijk giving away a penalty in the opening minutes in Liverpool's Champions League match against PSV The handball for the penalty came after he had busied himself complaining to the referee about the award of a corner - complaints that continued upon the award of the spot-kick. He was booked soon after for lunging in, his tackle arriving far too late. Much of the scrutiny has been on Mohamed Salah's decline but the reality is that both of Liverpool's bankers - the totems of this team for many years - have been well below their best. The challenge for Van Dijk is to deal with the side's struggles - and his own. Liverpool 1-4 PSV Eindhoven - Match reportAs it happened | Teams | Stats | Live CL tableGot Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺Konate still struggling badlyVan Dijk's fellow centre-back Ibrahima Konate is hardly helping his defensive partner. His failure to deal with a simple ball forwards allowed PSV to get in behind in the build-up to the third goal, just the latest costly mistake by a player who is struggling badly. Also See: Liverpool 1-4 PSV Eindhoven - Match report Live Champions League table Image: Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate reacts after PSV's third goal Had Liverpool been able to get the deal for Marc Guehi done in the summer transfer window, Konate would be out of the team already. Slot seems to have little faith in Joe Gomez, while Giovanni Leoni is out for the season. But this problem needs sorting.Konate's poor form is more than a blip; it is undermining them on a regular basis. Is it confidence or just being too casual? Whatever the issue, Slot cannot rely on a player who should be in his prime and with little time between games, it is tough to correct.Concerns grow over KerkezThe left-back has made a sluggish start to his Liverpool career, losing his place to Andrew Robertson before the international break. The Scotland international's exertions for his country presented another opportunity but Kerkez has fa...
After nine defeats in 12, where is it going wrong for Liverpool?
