LONDON — Liverpool lost for the fourth consecutive game in the Premier League as Brentford beat the champions 3-2 on Saturday, while Manchester United climbed into the top four with a 4-2 victory over Brighton.

Less than a month since starting the season with five straight wins, Liverpool’s title defence has come off the rails as the defensive frailties in Arne Slot’s side were brutally exposed by Brentford.

“Today was the worst in my opinion from all the four,” said Slot.

“We didn’t do the basics right in the first half and parts of the second.”Dango Ouattara hooked in from a long throw after just five minutes to set the tone and Kevin Schade added a second just before half-time at the end of a slick counter-attack that cut the visitors wide open.

Milos Kerkez halved Liverpool’s deficit before Igor Thiago’s penalty restored Brentford’s two-goal cushion.

Mohamed Salah ended his six-game Liverpool goal drought in spectacular fashion late on, but could not dig the Reds out of trouble.

Liverpool slip to sixth and could be seven points adrift of Arsenal by Sunday should the leaders beat Crystal Palace.