Arne Slot’s Liverpool endured a fourth consecutive defeat across all competitions after falling 2-1 to arch-rivals Manchester United at Anfield, and to make matters worse, reports suggest the Premier League will contact the club over multiple breaches of its multi-ball system.
The reigning champions, returning from the October international break eager to bounce back, suffered an early setback when Bryan Mbeumo beat Virgil van Dijk and slotted past Giorgi Mamardashvili inside two minutes. Cody Gakpo later restored hope with a 78th-minute equaliser, but Harry Maguire sealed the win for United six minutes from time with a precise header — deepening Liverpool’s woes.
To compound their misery, Liverpool are now under scrutiny for allegedly violating Premier League regulations during the match. Following Maguire’s decisive goal, the Reds pressed for an equaliser, and in a bid to quicken play, several ball attendants were seen throwing balls directly to Liverpool players — an action prohibited under the league’s rules.
Introduced in 2022, the multi-ball system requires footballs to be placed on designated tees around the pitch, with players responsible for retrieving them. Ball attendants are not permitted to hand or throw balls to players. Reports further claim that Arne Slot himself tossed a ball to one of his men late in the match, while two balls were spotted on the pitch at the same time on separate occasions.
Although the rule aims to speed up play, teams have been warned against exploiting it. Earlier this season, Aston Villa were fined £125,000 for multiple violations of the same rule, but Liverpool are not expected to face financial punishment — only a formal reminder from the Premier League.
While the situation reportedly caught the attention of Manchester United’s officials, no formal complaint has been lodged. Both Liverpool and the Premier League have declined to comment on the issue.
Liverpool now turn their focus to the Champions League, where they face Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, hoping to halt their losing streak and r
egain form.
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