Once a club on the rise, Liverpool in desperate need of a spark under Gareth Taylor

It was a second half that summed up Liverpool's season.

For a spell, it looked as if Gareth Taylor's side was on course for the unlikeliest of Anfield victories against the manager's former club, Manchester City. For an even longer period, it seemed like Liverpool's defensive doggedness might earn them a precious point to kick-start their stuttering season.

Ultimately, though, it was the same old story for the Reds, as a late strike from Aoba Fujino consigned them to a 2-1 defeat that leaves them without a single point in the Women's Super League (WSL) through five games this term. Extending back to last season, Liverpool have now lost a club-record seven games in a row in the competition, with only West Ham United's inferior goal difference keeping them off the bottom of the table.

In other words, the club's current situation is bleak.

It was only two seasons ago that Liverpool looked like a force on the rise, usurping rivals Manchester United to claim a spot in the WSL's top four. Fast forward to present day, and the Reds look a million miles from being able to compete with Europe's elite.

It has been a difficult few months for the club, both on and off the pitch. The departure of club-record signing Olivia Smith to Arsenal in the summer drastically weakened Liverpool's attack, while the delayed nature of Taylor's appointment -- he was only officially announced as head coach in August -- left them with little time to adequately reinvest Smith's £1 million transfer fee into the squad.

The death of former manager Matt Beard last month has also had a profound effect on many associated with the club, with nine of the 11 players that started against City having been signed during his tenure. Still, results have not been good enough, and Liverpool go into next week's international break with plenty of problems to solve.

Admittedly, it was always going to be a big ask for Taylor -- facing City for the first time since he was sacked earlier this year -- to mastermind a victory. In the first half, many of his team's problems were laid bare.

Liverpool goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe was kept busy, making important saves on shots from Vivianne Miedema, Khadija "Bunny" Shaw and Fujino, while offensively the hosts struggled to pose a threat to their visitors. In fact, Liverpool struggled so much in attack that they went into halftime with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.0, having had zero shots and just one touch inside the opposition box, compared to 22 for City. They also saw one of their most creative forces, midfielder Marie Hobinger, forced off the pitch with what looked like a knee injury inside the first 30 minutes.

Taylor's side did improve dramatically after the break and took the lead when Cornelia Kapocs diverted Ceri Holland's fine cross past Ayaka Yamashita and into the back of the City net. However, Liverpool led for just 12 minutes before Borggräfe palmed the ball into the path of Iman Beney, who finished with aplomb to draw the visitors level.

From that moment on, it felt like a City winner was inevitable, and it arrived in the 86th minute when Fujino coolly slotted home to continue Liverpool's wretched Anfield record -- they have won just one of their eight WSL matches at the stadium, a 3-1 victory over Manchester United in March.

There was a brief moment of hope right at the death when defender Gemma Bonner thought she had snatched an equalizer in front of the Kop. However, she was promptly flagged offside -- a painful reminder of how fine the margins are at the elite level.

"At this moment, we're not getting what we deserve, and it's tough," Taylor said after the game. "But it's fine. I think it's close to working; it's close to coming. It takes time. There's been a lot of change, and we've got to keep working. Things are obviously tough at the moment because we've probably felt a little bit hard done by in some games. Like I said, we've changed a lot of things. We've been asked to come in and bring a new way, and sometimes that takes time."

Of course, defeats against title-chasing City won't define Liverpool's season, but it is clear the Reds are in desperate need of a spark to ignite their campaign. With the club's owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) having invested heavily to repurchase Liverpool men's former training ground, Melwood, back in 2022, the need for greater financial support is clear -- particularly considering that the men's team spent close to £450 million in the transfer market this summer after winning the Premier League.

Renewed investment is expected in the January window. Until then, Liverpool need to find a way out of their current rut and start climbing the table. If not, it could be a very long season.