If the opening months of Arne Slot's debut campaign were about surprisingly shifting expectations, the same could be said about his sophomore season. The reason, though, couldn't be any more different.

Now the Liverpool boss faces a difficult call this evening as his new-look team face a crossroads few would have realistically seen coming at such a formative stage of the season.

While teething troubles were inevitable given the sheer scope of change - as much through necessity as design - to the Reds squad, not even Slot had envisaged quite the problems with which he has been faced in recent weeks.

Not since the dismal autumn of 2009 have Liverpool suffered such a losing run as present, with the Reds hoping to avoid matching that dreadful sequence of six defeats in seven when they entertain Crystal Palace in the League Cup fourth round this...