5 of Liverpool's most embarrassing defeats
This past weekend saw a seismic result in the Premier League, as reigning champions Liverpool were destroyed 7-2 by Aston Villa, who only narrowly avoided relegation in the 2019-20 campaign.
However, for as shocking as the result was, it wasn’t the first time that the reigning Premier League champions have been embarrassed in a defeat. Manchester United fans who recall their 5-0 loss to Newcastle United in 1996 would attest to this.
It also wasn’t the first time that Liverpool had suffered an embarrassing defeat, either. Over the years, the Reds have slumped to some truly shocking losses, and here are five of them.
#1 Coventry City 5-1 Liverpool – Premier League 1992-93
The inaugural Premier League season saw Liverpool in the midst of their early 90s slump under boss Graeme Souness. And the Reds had gotten off to a pretty horrible beginning to the campaign. By October, they’d won just two of their first 10 matches, and November saw them dumped out of the European Cup Winners’ Cup by Spartak Moscow.
Much worse was to come, though. December 19th saw Liverpool travel to the Midlands for a match with perennial strugglers Coventry. And after winning four of their previous five, the Reds expected a comfortable win.
Instead, the Sky Blues absolutely dismantled Souness’ side, taking the lead through a Brian Borrows penalty in the first half. They then extended their lead to 3-0 with two quick-fire goals midway through the second.
Jamie Redknapp pulled a goal back with a free-kick just three minutes after Coventry’s third goal, but was sent off just fou later, compounding Liverpool’s pain.
And to add even more humiliation, boyhood Liverpool fan Mick Quinn then added a brace, handing the Sky Blues a famous win – and leaving the Reds with their heaviest defeat since 1976. Quinn later stated that he would’ve loved to have played for Liverpool – but scoring against them was the next best thing.
#2 Liverpool 1-2 Blackpool – Premier League 2010-11
The 2010-11 season was undoubtedly a modern low point for Liverpool. The Reds had appointed new boss Roy Hodgson in the summer to replace the outgoing Rafa Benitez, But to say the future England and Crystal Palace manager failed to make a positive impact would be an understatement.
Hodgson’s Liverpool slumped to a stunning amount of defeats in the first half of the season. And after winning just seven of their first 20 games, the Reds were forced to dispose of the under-fire boss.
However, the nadir for Hodgson’s Liverpool actually came in the first game of October 2010. By that stage, the Reds had been defeated by both Manchester City and Manchester United. But Liverpool fans were about to experience something much worse.
Ian Holloway’s newly-promoted Blackpool side had been struggling from the off in their maiden Premier League season, suffering heavy defeats in three of their opening six games. Nobody really gave them a chance when they visited Anfield, but evidently, nobody had given the Seasiders that script.
Blackpool’s incredible work rate put Liverpool under immense pressure from the off, and Holloway’s side utterly outclassed Hodgson’s Reds throughout the first half. When Charlie Adam slotted home a penalty after Glen Johnson bought Luke Varney down in the box, it was only what Blackpool deserved.
And when Varney doubled the Seasiders’ lead in the dying moments of the half, it was clear that Liverpool were in deep trouble.
Hodgson’s side did attempt a comeback in the second half, having nine shots on target. But despite Sotirios Kyrgiakos heading in from a Steven Gerrard free-kick, Liverpool couldn’t find an equaliser and slumped to a hugely embarrassing defeat.