Liverpool’s Struggles: Can Arne Slot Revive Their Season?

Liverpool has invested £450 million in new signings this summer to solidify their status as England’s leading football club, following their 20th league championship victory last season. However, after 12 tumultuous games in their title defense, Arne Slot’s team is on track to become the worst champions in Premier League history.

Initially celebrated as an ideal successor to Jürgen Klopp, who smoothly transitioned Liverpool into a new era with minimal changes last season, Slot is now grappling with a significantly different set of challenges. The 47-year-old is struggling, with his team threatening to make history for undesirable reasons.

Star player Mohamed Salah has lost his scoring touch, while high-profile summer acquisitions Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz—each costing over £100 million—have proven to be costly disappointments. Additionally, Ibrahima Konaté embodies a defensive breakdown, contributing to a record of more league goals conceded than scored.

The champions’ once-unassailable reputation has been shattered, even at Anfield. A 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest marked the first time Liverpool has lost consecutive league matches by three goals since 1965. This was their sixth loss in seven league outings, a streak that has seen them plummet from the top of the table to 11th place since September 27.

Only José Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2014-15 have had a worse start to a title defense, recording seven defeats in their first 12 games. That dismal run ultimately led to Mourinho’s dismissal just seven months after securing the title for the third time.

Other teams, such as Blackburn Rovers in the 1994-95 season and Leicester City in 2015-16, similarly recorded six defeats in their first 12 games. Blackburn managed to stabilize and finish seventh, while Leicester, after sacking title-winning coach Claudio Ranieri in February 2017, ended up in 12th place—the lowest finish for a Premier League champion, two places below Chelsea’s previous season.

Are Liverpool on a path toward a Leicester-style disaster in the bottom half of the table? Or can Slot turn things around and steer his team back toward a successful campaign?

All signs suggest that Liverpool could emerge from their losing streak and contend for a top-four finish. However, football is rarely straightforward, as evidenced by the rapid declines of Chelsea, Blackburn, and Leicester. The pressure is mounting on Slot to rectify the situation swiftly.

“Of course there is a way out, especially with the quality players we have,” Slot remarked after the loss to Forest. “But I want to emphasize that I am responsible for the current losses. One is responsible when winning and also when losing. I can never offer enough excuses for our results. This is far from good enough, and I take responsibility for that.”

Captain Virgil van Dijk provided a more incisive critique, asserting that the players must accept their share of the blame while questioning whether all teammates are fully committed.

“As champions, we can’t be in this situation, but it is a fact,” the center-back said. “What are we going to do about it? We’ll try to turn it around; that’s the mentality everyone should have. The main issue is that everyone has to take responsibility. Are people doing that? I don’t know. But it’s necessary.”

Slot faces numerous challenges, but it remains unclear where to start, and some problems lack straightforward solutions.

In defense, alongside Van Dijk, Konaté has struggled with form, but Slot has no viable alternatives. The failure to secure a deadline-day deal for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi is now haunting Liverpool.

Notably, Giovanni Leoni, an 18-year-old backup signed from Parma, suffered a cruciate ligament injury in September and will be unavailable until next season. Konaté’s decline has affected Van Dijk, compounded by the prolonged absence of goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who played his first match since September 30 during the defeat against Forest.

At left-back, Slot has been slow to realize that Milos Kerkez lacks the experience to replace Andy Robertson. Meanwhile, the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid is increasingly felt at right-back, where Liverpool has frequently resorted to deploying midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.

With a defense that has become inconsistent, Liverpool’s midfielders are struggling to meet the demands placed upon them, particularly when Wirtz is included in the lineup. The Germany international has not recorded a goal or assist in 11 Premier League appearances, with only two assists in four UEFA Champions League matches. He struggles to cope with the pace and physicality of the league, and opponents have begun to exploit his weaknesses.

Up front, Liverpool’s issues are even more pronounced, which is particularly surprising given the wealth of talent at their disposal. Isak has yet to score a league goal since joining from Newcastle United, and his lack of work rate has begun to frustrate fans. Salah, last season’s Footballer of the Year, seems disengaged, as if he regrets not moving to a different club during the summer instead of committing to a new two-year contract. Meanwhile, Hugo Ekitike, once seen as a success from the summer window, has scored just one goal in nine appearances, with no Premier League goals in over two months.

Salah’s impending departure for the Africa Cup of Nations may provide an opportunity for Slot to field Isak, Wirtz, and Ekitike together, with the expectation that it is now their time to shine. However, none of them have yet demonstrated the ability to step up under pressure.

It falls to Slot to rescue the team and ensure that Liverpool does not end the season as the worst defending champions in Premier League history.