Liverpool lost for the fourth consecutive game in the Premier League as Brentford beat the champions 3-2 on Saturday, while Manchester United climbed into the top four with a 4-2 victory over Brighton.
Less than a month since starting the season with five straight wins, Liverpool's title defence has come off the rails as the defensive frailties in Arne Slot's side were brutally exposed by Brentford.
"Today was the worst in my opinion from all the four," said Slot.
"We didn't do the basics right in the first half and parts of the second."
Dango Ouattara hooked in from a long throw after just five minutes to set the tone and Kevin Schade added a second just before half-time at the end of a slick counter-attack that cut the visitors wide open.
Milos Kerkez halved Liverpool's deficit before Igor Thiago's penalty restored Brentford's two-goal cushion.
Mohamed Salah ended his six-game Liverpool goal drought in spectacular fashion late on, but could not dig the Reds out of trouble.
Liverpool slip to sixth and could be seven points adrift of Arsenal by Sunday should the leaders beat Crystal Palace.
Mbeumo Gives United Momentum
It took nearly a year under Ruben Amorim for United to win back-to-back league games but they have now won three in a row after ending Brighton's run of success at Old Trafford.
The Seagulls had won on their previous three visits amid a run of six wins in seven league games against United.
The Red Devils' £200 million trio ($266 million) of attacking additions in the transfer window, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, are beginning to click.
Cunha curled in his first goal for the club from outside the box before Casemiro's deflected effort doubled United's lead before half-time.
Sesko then teed up Mbeumo to fire in at the near post.
Danny Welbeck's brilliant free-kick and Charalampos Kostoulas' header set up a nervy finale.
But Mbeumo smashed home his second goal to seal the points in the 97th minute.
"The performance was important but it would not be Manchester United without suffering a bit," said Amorim.
United surge ahead of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham into the Champions League places and within three points of leaders Arsenal.
With AFP
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