Anfield is renowned for being Liverpool’s impenetrable fortress backed by a vociferous crowd, but there have been plenty of gloomy days at the fabled venue.
Liverpool have suffered some embarrassing defeats on home soil across their illustrious history, with the majority of their heftiest Anfield losses coming in the early-to-mid 1900s. Sunderland actually inflicted the Reds’ worst home humiliation, triumphing 6–0 on their trip to Merseyside in April 1930.
However, Liverpool have been far from invincible at Anfield in more recent times. While they still boast a phenomenal home record, there have been an array of high-profile and high-scoring defeats since the dawn of the Premier League.
Here is a rundown of Liverpool’s five largest home defeats in the modern era.
5. Liverpool 0–3 Crystal Palace (29/10/2025)
One of Liverpool’s biggest Anfield defeats came in very recent history. Arne Slot named a much-changed and relatively inexperienced team for the Carabao Cup fourth round clash with Crystal Palace in October 2025, with the Reds, rather unsurprisingly, finding life difficult as a result.
Ismaïla Sarr, who simply loves scoring against Liverpool, produced a quick-fire brace before half time to condemn Slot’s unfamiliar lineup to a gruelling defeat, which was only exacerbated in the closing stages.
Academy product Amara Nallo was sent off for a last-man foul—his second Liverpool red card on only his second appearance for the senior side—and Yéremy Pino rubbed salt in the wounds with a well-taken third in the dying embers.
4. Liverpool 1–4 Chelsea (02/10/2005)
Liverpool were simply no match for defending Premier League champions Chelsea early in the 2005–06 season. The Reds had made an underwhelming start to the term under Rafa Benítez and were outplayed by José Mourinho’s Blues, who opened the scoring midway through the first half via Frank Lampard.
Steven Gerrard levelled against the club he had almost joined several months earlier, but Damien Duff restored Chelsea’s advantage before the half-time whistle.
Didier Drogba, who had already assisted Chelsea’s first two goals, then teed up future Liverpool player Joe Cole for the visitors’ third of the afternoon, with Geremi rounding off the scoring in the final 10 minutes as the Blues thrashed the Reds en route to defending their title.
3. Liverpool 1–4 Manchester City (07/02/2021)
The Anfield crowd were grateful to be stuck on their sofas for Manchester City’s visit in February 2021. The coronavirus pandemic ensured that Liverpool’s home was empty for their thrashing at the hands of Pep Guardiola’s side, with Alisson particularly pleased to have avoided a haranguing from his own supporters after several costly errors.
İlkay Gündoğan proved a thorn in Liverpool’s side throughout, shaking off a first-half penalty miss to bag a brace after the restart. Both were scored from a few yards out, with the second gifted to the Germany international after Alisson’s woeful kick allowed Phil Foden to set him up.
Mohamed Salah had scored from the spot in between Gündoğan’s strikes, but another Alisson howler allowed Man City to establish a two-goal lead. A terrible pass ended up at the feet of Bernardo Silva, who picked out ex-Liverpool man Raheem Sterling for a tap-in.
Things got even worse in the final 10 minutes as Foden rattled past Alisson to condemn the reigning champions to a horrid defeat.
2. Liverpool 2–5 Real Madrid (21/02/2023)
Having been conquered by record European champions Real Madrid in the previous season’s Champions League final, Liverpool endured more suffering at the hands of Los Blancos in the last 16 of the competition in 2022–23.
Things had started ever so swimmingly for the Reds as Darwin Núñez and Salah fired past the Spaniards in the opening 15 minutes, but it was all downhill from there as the Reds imploded.
Vinícius Júnior produced a double before the break to get Madrid back on level terms, before Karim Benzema ran riot after the restart. The Frenchman scored twice to add to Éder Militão’s header and leave the Reds needing a miracle at the Santiago Bernabéu in the second leg to qualify.
No such miracle arrived as Liverpool lost 1–0 in the Spanish capital.
1. Liverpool 3–6 Arsenal (09/01/2007)
Liverpool have only conceded six goals at Anfield on one occasion during the Premier League era. Arsenal were their tormenters in the quarter-final of the League Cup in 2006–07, destroying a weakened Liverpool team to march into the last four.
Five of the game’s nine goals came before half time. Robbie Fowler’s effort for the home side couldn’t prevent them from trailing badly at the break, with Júlio Baptista scoring twice to add to efforts from Jérémie Aliadière and Alex Song.
Baptista completed his hat-trick on the hour mark just after missing a penalty to stun the Anfield crowd, and despite consolation strikes from Gerrard and Sami Hyypiä, Arsenal’s Brazilian scored his fourth of the match in the closing minutes to pile more misery on the Reds.
Over a third of Baptista’s career Arsenal goals came at Anfield on a bitter January night.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool’s Heaviest Anfield Defeats in the Modern Era.