Liverpool’s Troubling Title Defense: Can Slot Turn the Tide?

omidbasir- Liverpool has invested £450 million in new signings this summer to reinforce their status as England’s leading football club, following their recent achievement of a 20th league championship. However, after 12 tumultuous matches in their title defense, Arne Slot’s squad is on track to become the Premier League’s worst-ever defending champions.

Having been regarded as the ideal successor to Jürgen Klopp, Slot initially guided Liverpool into a new era with minimal alterations last season. This season, however, presents a starkly different challenge. The 47-year-old is struggling significantly, with his team threatening to etch their name in the history books for the wrong reasons.

Mohamed Salah has seen a decline in his scoring prowess, while high-profile summer signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz—both costing over £100 million—have proven to be costly misfires. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konaté has become a symbol of the team’s defensive struggles, as Liverpool has conceded more league goals than they have scored.

This loss of invincibility has been evident even at Anfield. The recent 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest marked the first time since 1965 that Liverpool lost consecutive league matches by three goals. This marks their sixth loss in seven league games, a dismal streak that has seen them tumble from first place to 11th.

Only José Mourinho’s Chelsea in the 2014-15 season have had a worse start to their title defense, with seven defeats in the first 12 matches. That poor performance led to Mourinho’s dismissal in December 2015, a mere seven months after he led Chelsea to their third title.

Historically, Blackburn Rovers (1994-95 champions) and Leicester City (2015-16 champions) are the only teams to record six defeats in their first 12 games as defending champions. Blackburn managed to stabilize and finish seventh in the following season, whereas Leicester, having sacked title-winning coach Claudio Ranieri in February 2017, ended the campaign in 12th, marking the lowest finish for any Premier League champion, two places below Chelsea’s finish the previous year.

Is Liverpool at risk of suffering a similarly ignominious bottom-half finish? Or can Slot halt this downward trajectory and lead his team back towards success this season?

There are indications that Liverpool may emerge from their slump and secure a top-four finish. However, if football were that straightforward, teams like Chelsea, Blackburn, and Leicester wouldn’t have experienced such rapid declines. The pressure mounts on Slot to initiate a swift turnaround.

“There is certainly a way out, especially with the quality players we possess,” Slot remarked following the defeat against Forest. “However, I must stress that I am accountable for our current losses. One must take responsibility in both victory and defeat. Excuses cannot justify our results, which are far from acceptable, and I take responsibility for that.”

Slot’s captain, Virgil van Dijk, offered a more critical view of the team’s shortcomings, suggesting that players must collectively accept accountability while questioning whether all teammates are fully committed to the cause.

“As champions, we cannot find ourselves in this predicament, but it is our reality,” said van Dijk. “What are we going to do about it? We will strive to turn it around, and that mentality must be universal. The most crucial aspect is for everyone to take responsibility. Are players doing that? I cannot say. But that is essential.”

Slot faces numerous challenges, but the pressing question is where to begin, as many issues lack clear solutions.

In defense, alongside van Dijk, Konaté’s form has declined, and Slot lacks alternatives to the French international. The failure to finalize a deadline-day transfer for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi looms large over Liverpool.

Additionally, Liverpool’s backup option, Giovanni Leoni, an 18-year-old signed from Parma, suffered a cruciate ligament injury in September, sidelining him until the next season. Konaté’s poor performance has negatively impacted van Dijk, compounded by the extended absence of goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who made his first appearance since September 30 in the loss to Forest.

At left back, Slot has taken too long to recognize that Milos Kerkez is not yet prepared to replace Andy Robertson. Meanwhile, the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who departed for Real Madrid, is now felt weekly at right back, often forcing Liverpool to use midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai in that position.

With a defense that has become erratic and untrustworthy, Liverpool’s midfielders are struggling to meet the demands placed upon them, particularly when Wirtz is included in the lineup. The German player has yet to register any goals or assists in 11 Premier League appearances, though he has managed two assists in four UEFA Champions League games. Wirtz has repeatedly struggled to adapt to the pace and physicality of English football, and opponents have begun to exploit this weakness.

In attack, the situation is equally concerning, reflecting a significant shortcoming for both Slot and his squad, given the talented roster at their disposal. Isak has yet to score a league goal since joining from Newcastle United, with his work rate already generating discontent among Liverpool supporters. Salah, last season’s Footballer of the Year, appears to be performing with a mindset that suggests he wished to transfer to a new club rather than extend his contract for two more years. Meanwhile, Hugo Ekitike, who seemed a promising addition during the summer transfer window, has recorded only one goal in nine appearances, with no Premier League goals in over two months.

Salah’s upcoming participation in the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt may present an opportunity for Slot to field Isak, Wirtz, and Ekitike, shifting the focus away from Salah. Yet, none of these players have demonstrated the capability to rise to this challenge.

Thus, it falls upon Slot to rescue the team from this predicament and ensure that Liverpool does not finish this season as the worst defending champions in Premier League history.