PSV 3 Liverpool 2: Arne Slot’s youthful side beaten by Dutch giants… but still seal Champions League top spot

ARNE SLOT claimed a “wise man” once told him nothing good ever came from a defeat.

The identity of the Liverpool’s manager’s Yoda-style mentor remains a mystery but he may also have mentioned that the results of pre-season friendlies do not matter.

Because here in Eindhoven, it felt exactly like that for Liverpool – the sort of match we see in July – with Slot mixing and matching his team without worrying too much about the outcome.

Even though they lost, Liverpool finished in the top two.

So this third defeat of the Slot reign really was an irrelevance and not one anyone will dwell on.

Slot will certainly not stress about a late red card for Liverpool substitute defender Amara Nallo for a tackle on Johan Bakayoko.

Nothing happened until Cody Gakpo scored against his former club with a 28th-minute penalty. 

Bakayoko equalised, Harvey Elliott restored Liverpool lead and then Ismael Saibari levelled in the 45th minute.

Remarkably, in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time, PSV got what was to be their winner.

And it was credited to Ricardo Pepi but looked like a Conor Bradley own goal.

Yet it was always going to be a strange night.

With captain Virgil van Dijk among several high-profile absentees left at home, Andy Robertson not only wore the skipper’s armband.

The Scot also replaced the Dutchman in central defence so there were always going to be a few gaps at the back.

Striker Jayden Danns was handed a full debut up front while midfielder James McConnell made only his third start.

Federico Chiesa – the only arrival last summer – has suffered an injury-hit spell on Merseyside and will have been delighted to get a full 90 minutes in his second start although he was guilty of an embarrassing dive in a bid to win a penalty.

It was Chiesa who won the penalty although he needed extensive treatment after a clumsy whack to the ankles from Joey Veerman.

Gakpo calmly dispatched his spot-kick into the bottom corner and as he had promised before the game, the £45m signing did not celebrate in front of his former supporters.

Gakpo’s 39th strike for Liverpool sparked a flurry of goals.

Bakayoko delivered a lovely finish following a clever turn which left both Robertson and Jarell Quansah on their backsides.

Elliott tucked away a loose ball to restore Liverpool’s lead after keeper Benitez could only parry a shot from Chiesa and Saibari beat Caoimhin Kelleher at his near post for 2-2. 

Liverpool did not defend well and they caught out down their right again.

Although Pepi was marked down at the goalscorer, Uefa initially awarded it as an own goal to Bradley as he got a heavy touch to Mauro Junior’s cross. 

Only six minutes of the second half had been played when Slot decided to give Gakpo a rest and he received a standing ovation from the PSV fans who sang his name.

Gakpo’s replacement, Tyler Morton, delivered a stunning block to prevent Saibari from getting a fourth.

And Kelleher delivered a decent late save to deny Isaac Babadi.