Liverpool could set unwanted club Premier League record and match 72-year worst in Aston Villa clash

Liverpool are at risk of suffering an unwanted club first in the Premier League when they host Aston Villa in Saturday night's Anfield contest.

The Reds appeared to have turned a corner when they slaughtered Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in the Champions League, but that exceptional European display proved to be a false dawn.

The Premier League champions have since been brought crashing back down to earth with successive domestic defeats, firstly falling 3-2 away to Brentford in the top flight before a 3-0 EFL Cup fourth-round loss to Crystal Palace in midweek.

Arne Slot put out a juvenile, second-string team for the latter contest, highlighting where his priorities lie as Liverpool desperately try to claw back a seven-point deficit to leaders Arsenal in the Premier League table.

However, the Reds have not even claimed a point in the division since gameweek five against Everton, losing each of their last four in the division to Palace, Chelsea, Manchester United and Brentford.

Liverpool could match 72-year worst in Aston Villa Premier League contest

Should Liverpool also fail to pick up a point against Villa, Slot would have been consigned to a fate that none of his predecessors were - losing five consecutive Premier League matches.

The Reds have gone a staggering 72 years without suffering five straight league defeats, last being condemned to that nightmarish fate in the early stages of the 1953-54 First Division season.

That year, the Merseyside giants were beaten in successive games by Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, and the 53-54 season still lives in Liverpool infamy.

That campaign represents the last time that the Reds have been relegated from the top flight of English football, as they finished rock bottom of the division with just 28 points from 42 matches, ending a 49-year streak of first-tier action.

This time around, Liverpool are on course to collect just over 63 points from their 38 games this season, which would undoubtedly see the Reds avoid that same unthinkable relegation fate but would also see them cede their Premier League crown.

Liverpool are following a historical trend, and it is extremely worrying for Arne Slot

While Liverpool's plight in the 2025-26 season may be shocking to both Anfield fans and rival supporters, the Reds are actually following a historical trend, albeit a rather worrying one.

Only one Premier League champion in history has suffered five straight defeats - the 2016-17 Leicester City team - but pre and post-1992, there have been seven instances of the holders losing five games on the bounce, and Liverpool were responsible for three of them.

The Merseyside giants previously lost five top-flight games on the spin in the 1906-07, 1923-24 and 1947-48 seasons, in which they were the defending champions in all of them, so they have previous when it comes to such torrid runs.

Neither the historical nor current omens weigh heavily in Liverpool's favour for Saturday's game, as Villa have coincidentally won each of their last four Premier League games, the best ongoing run in the division.

However, Slot will recall the big-hitters to his first XI on Saturday, including Mohamed Salah, who could either equal or break a Premier League record set by Wayne Rooney.