Something is happening behind the scenes at Liverpool and Arne Slot could lose job

On Wednesday evening, Palace were imperious. Oliver Glasner's side, despite resting key players, beat a weakened Liverpool side 3-0 in their own back yard. Ismaila Sarr was the star of the show with a brilliant brace, while Yeremy Pino added a late third after youngster Amara Nallo had received their marching orders.

The writing was on the wall before kick-off, however, when Arne Slot's starting XI was published.

Despite needing a win to lift some of the doom and gloom mood around Anfield these days, the Dutchman decided to rotate.

What's more, his A-listers got the night off entirely. No Mohamed Salah, no Virgil van Dijk, no Alexander Isak, no Florian Wirtz, no Hugo Ekitike. Liverpool were doomed from the start.

But with Slot making erratic decisions like that, it's safe to say the club are in crisis. Six defeats from their last seven games across all competitions, certainly, is a grim statistic.

Liverpool, if truth be told, haven't been their usual selves all season long. Though their campaign started well on paper, with key victories over the likes of Bournemouth, Newcastle and Arsenal, they were fortunate to emerge victorious on all of those occasions.

Palace, ironically, were the first team to get one over on them this term.

Liverpool's malaise started at the end of September, when the Eagles battled their way to a 2-1 victory at Selhurst Park. That win came mere weeks after Oliver Glasner's team had overcome the Reds in the Community Shield via a penalty shootout.

Since then, the defeats have kept coming.

Galatasaray beat them in Europe, with Chelsea securing a vital scoop at Stamford Bridge before the international break.

Since then, Manchester United, Brentford and Palace have all inflicted agonising defeats on Slot's side. It is, with each passing match, getting worse.

Liverpool will say their new signings have taken a while to adjust. Florian Wirtz has been dire, while Alexander Isak has netted just once since his seismic move from Newcastle on transfer deadline day.

To make matters worse, age appears to have crept into the games of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. The two club icons have been well off the pace and look shadows of the players that helped the Reds win the Premier League title last season.

All of those things point to a confidence crisis. Behind the scenes, fear appears to be creeping in. A sense of invincibility has paven the way to vulnerability.

Liverpool, right now, are backing Slot. They won't be rushed into any hasty decisions, even with woes worsening.

Yet history suggests that the 47-year-old, for all of last season's success, isn't necessarily as secure as many would believe.

Chelsea are a drastic example, but Jose Mourinho was axed by the Blues in December 2015 - just months after winning the league. He imploded on that occasion, throwing his toys out of the pram. Slot is unlikely to do the same but it goes to show that winning the title doesn't always necessarily ensure a longer stint.

The Dutchman must double down to pick his players off the floor. That made Jurgen Klopp special but, with this the first dip of the Slot era, the former Feyenoord boss has critics to answer.

Losing matches hurts players. It could soon become fatal.

Whether the Merseyside giants can respond against Aston Villa on Saturday remains to be seen.