Liverpool’s Troubling Title Defense: A Season in Crisis

Liverpool FC invested £450 million in new signings this summer to strengthen their status as England’s premier football team following their 20th league title last season. However, after 12 tumultuous matches in their title defense, Arne Slot’s squad is on track to record the worst performance by a defending champion in Premier League history.

Slot, initially praised as the ideal successor to Jürgen Klopp for successfully transitioning Liverpool into a new era with minimal adjustments last season, is now confronted with a daunting challenge. The 47-year-old manager is struggling significantly, with his team poised to make an unwanted mark in football history.

Key player Mohamed Salah has seen a decline in his scoring ability, while high-profile summer acquisitions Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, both exceeding £100 million in cost, have proven to be expensive disappointments. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konaté has epitomized a defensive weakness that has resulted in the team conceding more goals than it has scored.

The aura of invincibility that once enveloped the defending champions has been shattered, even at their home ground, Anfield. The recent 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest marked the first instance since 1965 that Liverpool has lost consecutive league matches by three goals. This defeat was part of a troubling trend, with the team experiencing six losses in their last seven league games, plummeting from the top of the table to 11th.

Only José Mourinho’s Chelsea, champions in the 2014-15 season, have started their title defense more unfavorably, suffering seven defeats in the first 12 matches. That dismal performance led to Mourinho’s dismissal in December 2015, a mere seven months after securing the championship for the third time.

Similarly, Blackburn Rovers (1994-95 champions) and Leicester City (2015-16 champions) are the only other teams to record six defeats in their opening 12 matches as defending champions. While Blackburn managed to recover and finish seventh, Leicester, having fired their title-winning coach Claudio Ranieri in February 2017, finished 12th—the lowest position for a Premier League champion, two spots below Chelsea’s finish the year before.

As Liverpool’s season continues to spiral, the question arises: Are they on a path toward a Leicester-style bottom-half finish, or can Slot reverse their fortunes and guide the team toward a more successful outcome?

There is reason to believe that Liverpool could emerge from this losing streak and potentially secure a top-four finish. However, if football were that predictable, teams like Chelsea, Blackburn, and Leicester would not have faced such swift declines. The pressure is mounting on Slot to rectify the situation promptly.

“Of course, there is a way out, especially with the quality players we have,” Slot stated following the defeat to Forest. “But I want to emphasize that I am responsible for the current losses. You are accountable when winning and when losing. I cannot create enough excuses for our results; they are unacceptable, and I take responsibility for that.”

Captain Virgil van Dijk provided a more direct critique of the team’s issues, asserting that the players must also share the blame and questioning whether all teammates are fully committed to the team’s success.

“As champions, we cannot be in the situation we are in right now, but it is a fact,” Van Dijk remarked. “What are we going to do about it? We need to turn it around, and that should be the mentality of everyone involved. The key is that everyone must take responsibility. Are people doing that? I’m not sure. But it is essential.”

Slot faces numerous challenges, but determining where to begin is complex, with some issues lacking clear solutions. Alongside Van Dijk, Konaté’s recent form has declined significantly, yet Slot lacks viable alternatives. The failure to secure a last-minute deal for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi is now proving costly.

Additionally, Liverpool’s backup option Giovanni Leoni, an 18-year-old signed from Parma, is sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury until next season. Konaté’s struggles have negatively impacted Van Dijk, compounded by the absence of goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who returned only recently after injury.

On the left flank, Slot has been slow to recognize that Milos Kerkez is too inexperienced to effectively fill in for Andy Robertson. Furthermore, the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid is increasingly felt at right back, forcing Liverpool to rely on midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai in that position.

With a defense that has become inconsistent and unreliable, Liverpool’s midfielders are finding it increasingly difficult to manage the demands placed upon them, especially when Wirtz is part of the lineup. The German has yet to score or assist in 11 Premier League appearances, despite contributing two assists in four UEFA Champions League matches. He has struggled to adapt to the pace and physicality of the English game, which opponents are now exploiting.

Up front, the team’s performance has been equally disappointing given the wealth of talent available. Isak has yet to find the net in the league since his transfer from Newcastle United, with his work ethic eliciting frustration from the Liverpool faithful. Salah, last season’s Footballer of the Year, appears to be playing as if he regrets not moving on during the summer, despite extending his contract. Meanwhile, Hugo Ekitike, once considered a bright prospect from the summer window, has managed just one goal in nine appearances, failing to score in the Premier League for over two months.

Salah’s impending departure for the Africa Cup of Nations next month may present an opportunity for Slot to reinvigorate the team, allowing Isak, Wirtz, and Ekitike to take center stage. However, none have demonstrated the capability to rise to this challenge thus far.

Ultimately, it falls to Slot to navigate these challenges and ensure Liverpool does not conclude this season as the worst defending champions in Premier League history.