LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Liverpool slumped to a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat as Brentford bullied the defending champions in a 3-2 win on Saturday.

Goals from Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago secured victory for the Bees, who climb to 10th in the table.

Liverpool slip to sixth and could be seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal by Sunday as their title defence has collapsed in spectacular style over the past month.

The Reds have lost five of their last six games in all competitions as Arne Slot appears lost for answers in how to develop a cohesive team from a Premier League record spend of nearly £450 million ($600 million) in the transfer window.

One of Slot’s big decisions was taken out of his hands as Alexander Isak missed out due to a groin injury, but Mohamed Salah did return from the side that thrashed Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday to snap a four-game losing streak.

Brentford have long been exponents of the long throw-in tactic that has become popular across the Premier League this season.

Liverpool struggled to deal with the flight of Michael Kayode’s throw-ins all night and it was the source of the opening goal.

Kristoffer Ajer flicked on the Italian’s wicked delivery and Ouattara volleyed in.

Liverpool showed flickers of life and Florian Wirtz should have netted his first goal for the club when the £100 million signing fired wide from inside the area.

– Liverpool’s implosion –
But despite Brentford’s lack of possession they continued to pose the greater goal threat.

Giorgi Mamardashvili tipped over Mikkel Damsgaard’s dipping strike.

Damsgaard then created Brentford’s second with a brilliant through ball that saw Schade leave Ibrahima Konate trailing before firing low past Mamardashvili.

Liverpool have now conceded at least twice in six of their nine league games so far this season.

Milos Kerkez’s struggles since a £40 million move from Bournemouth have played a major part in Liverpool’s implosion.

The Hungarian made amends for another shaky display when he turned in Conor Bradley’s cross five minutes into first half stoppage time.

Brentford were furious as the referee had signalled for only three minutes to be added.

However, the home side benefitted when a VAR intervention awarded a penalty for Virgil van Dijk’s kick on Ouattara on the hour mark.

A free-kick had initially been given but replays showed the Liverpool captain made contact just inside the area.

Thiago sent Mamardashvili the wrong way and there was no way back for Liverpool after another disjointed and dispirited display from the defending champions.

Salah was denied by Sepp van den Berg’s desire to throw his body in the way of his shot with the chance to pull a goal back immediately.

The Egyptian did eventually end his six-game goal drought at club level in spectacular fashion by controlling Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross and smashing in off the underside of the bar in the 89th minute.

But it was too little, too late to slow Liverpool’s dramatic decline since the disruption of a squad overhaul in the summer and the grief caused by the shock death of Diogo Jota in a car accident in July.