PSV trounce Liverpool as Arsenal topple Bayern whereas PSG and Real additionally win | Football News | USAEMALL.com

What might have been deemed a wobble appears to be a full-blown crisis for Arne Slot at Liverpool, with the beleaguered English champions getting thrashed for the third straight game on Wednesday.

It is now nine defeats in its last 12 games for Liverpool after PSV Eindhoven left Anfield with a 4-1 win in the Champions League. The Reds were coming off 3-0 losses in the Premier League to Manchester City before the international break and Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Slot is under increasing pressure — an inconceivable scenario, given Liverpool cruised to the Premier League title a matter of months ago — and defensive mistakes again led to his team’s downfall against PSV.

Firstly, Virgil van Dijk’s raised hand touched the ball at a corner to give away a penalty, converted by 36-year-old Ivan Perisic for the opener to the Dutch champions.

Dominik Szoboszlai equalised 10 minutes later, but after Guus Til regained the lead for PSV, Liverpool centre back Ibrahima Konate — a target for criticism from fans and pundits alike in recent months — missed the ball completely to let the visitors in on goal again.

US forward Ricardo Pepi shot against the post, and Couhaib Driouech was there to convert the rebound.

Driouech added a fourth in stoppage time to complete the humiliation.

Arsenal topple Bayern to lead UCL league phase

Arsenal beat Bayern Munich for the first time in a decade to maintain their 100 percent record in this season’s Champions League with a 3-1 victory, sending them top of the group.

Jurrien Timber headed Mikel Arteta’s side in front from a corner after 22 minutes, only for Bayern teenager Lennart Karl to equalise in style before half-time.

Arsenal dominated the second half, though and showed their immense squad depth as substitutes Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli scored the goals to make it five wins from five.

It proved a quiet return to north London for prolific Bayern striker Harry Kane as his side suffered their first defeat of the season in all competitions.

With Inter Milan dropping points, Arsenal are now the only team in the competition with a maximum 15 points and look all but assured of a place in the last 16.

Six points clear at the top of the Premier League and Bundesliga respectively and boasting flawless records after four games in the Champions League, Arsenal and Bayern Munich have been Europe’s stand-out teams this season.

The sides met in the quarterfinals two years ago with Bayern coming out on top, but Arsenal have moved to another level since that clash and went into Wednesday’s game on a 15-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

With last-16 spots already looking safe for both clubs, the 15th meeting between them lacked jeopardy, but bragging rights and psychological blows were up for grabs.

It was Arsenal who emerged with both, thanks to a win that will reverberate around Europe.

Bayern, backed by a vociferous travelling army, looked confident early on but were stunned in the 22nd minute when Arsenal scored the kind of devastatingly simple goal that has become their trademark.

Bukayo Saka swung in a corner, Myles Lewis-Skelly got the slightest of nudges on Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer, and Timber rose to glance a header into the net.

The lead lasted only 10 minutes, though, as Bayern responded with another move right off the training ground.

After a long passing sequence, Joshua Kimmich’s raking pass found Michael Olise, whose volleyed pass across the face of goal was met by 17-year-old Karl, who became the first player to score against Arsenal in the Champions League this season.

While Kane was largely peripheral, Karl was impressive and should probably have scored again early in the second half when he burst into the area but shot straight at goalkeeper David Raya.

After that, Arsenal took charge.

Mikel Merino went close when he nodded a header down and just wide from a Declan Rice corner, Cristhian Mosquera was denied by Neuer and the keeper then saved from Rice after the midfielder’s marauding run.

Bayern’s defence was creaking, though and Arsenal’s pressure paid off in the 69th minute when Riccardo Calafiori fired in a cross from the left that fellow substitute Madueke turned in for his first goal for the club.

Neuer then had a moment to forget when he charged out of his goal eight minutes later, trying to cut out Eberechi Eze’s pass, but got nowhere near the ball, and Martinelli was left with the simple task of shooting into an empty net.

Mbappe scores all four as Real Madrid avoid Olympiakos scare

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe scored four goals, including the second-fastest hat-trick in Champions League history in just eight minutes, to earn a 4-3 comeback victory over hosts Olympiakos.

Mbappe beat two defenders to slot in from Vinicius Jr’s assist in the 22nd minute, cancelling out Chiquinho’s eighth-minute lead. He then headed in an Arda Guler cross two minutes later, and before the Greeks had time to recover from the double strike, the France forward completed his hat-trick with another fine finish.

The Spaniards hit the woodwork through Aurelien Tchouameni in a strong first half, but the hosts cut the deficit seven minutes after the restart through Mehdi Taremi’s close-range header before Mbappe’s tap-in from yet another Vinicius Jr assist briefly restored order.

Olympiacos scored again with Ayoub El Kaabi’s 81st-minute header, but despite intense late pressure, they could not find another goal as Real snapped their three-game winless run in all competitions.

Real climbed to fifth place on 12 points from five games in the league phase table, with the top eight earning automatic qualification for the knockout stage and with three matchdays remaining. Olympiakos are 33rd with two points.

UCL holders PSG made to work by Tottenham

Holders Paris St Germain showed a never-say-die attitude as they twice came from behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-3 in the Champions League, with two moments of brilliance from Vitinha steering Luis Enrique’s side to victory.

PSG looked fragile at the back, conceding twice from defensive lapses and showing some of the same issues that contributed to their 2-1 defeat by Bayern Munich in the previous round, but they responded with greater control and efficiency to turn the match around at the Parc des Princes.

Vitinha bagged a hat-trick with two fine strikes and a penalty, while Pacho and Fabian Ruiz also scored for PSG, who were made to work after Tottenham twice led through Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani, the France forward finishing with a double.

After four victories in five games, PSG, who finished with 10 men after Lucas Hernandez was sent off in stoppage time, are second in the league phase standings, on course for direct qualification to the last 16, while Tottenham are 16th on eight points.