Liverpool invested £450 million in new players this summer to solidify their dominance in English football after claiming their 20th league title last season. However, after 12 tumultuous matches in their title defense, Arne Slot’s team risks becoming the Premier League‘s worst-ever defending champions.
Initially viewed as the ideal successor to Jürgen Klopp, Slot has now faced a stark shift in challenges this season after managing a smooth transition last year. The 47-year-old’s performance has been lackluster, jeopardizing his team’s historical standing.
Mohamed Salah has struggled to find the net, while big summer acquisitions Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, both acquired for over £100 million, have failed to deliver on expectations. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konaté epitomizes the defensive struggles that have led to Liverpool conceding more goals than they have scored.
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The champions’ once-unbreakable aura has diminished, even at Anfield. Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest marked the first occurrence of consecutive three-goal league losses since 1965. This latest defeat extends their grim record to six losses in seven league matches, plummeting them from first to 11th place since September 27.
Only José Mourinho’s Chelsea had a worse start in their title defense during the 2014-15 season, suffering seven losses in their first 12 games. This dismal run ultimately led to Mourinho’s dismissal in December 2015, just seven months after securing the championship for Chelsea’s third time.
Only Blackburn Rovers (1994-95 champions) and Leicester City (2015-16) have experienced as many as six defeats as reigning champions in their first 12 games. Blackburn managed to stabilize their campaign to finish seventh the following season, but Leicester, after parting ways with title-winning coach Claudio Ranieri in February 2017, ended up in 12th place – the lowest finish by a Premier League champion, two spots below Chelsea’s position the year before.
Are Liverpool heading toward a disastrous finish similar to Leicester’s? Can Slot reverse the current slump and steer the team towards a semblance of success this season?
The current trajectory suggests that Liverpool might emerge from this losing streak and secure a top-four finish eventually. However, if things were that straightforward, the Chelsea, Blackburn, and Leicester teams wouldn’t have experienced such a rapid decline. The pressure is mounting on Slot to turn things around swiftly.
“Of course, there is a way out, especially with the quality players we have,” Slot stated after the Forest loss. “But I must emphasize that I am accountable for our current losses. You are responsible for wins and losses alike. I can’t make enough excuses for the results we’ve achieved. They are far from good enough, and I bear that responsibility.”
Captain Virgil van Dijk offered a blunt evaluation of the team’s shortcomings, indicating that the players must also share the blame and question whether everyone is giving their all for the collective.
“As champions, we shouldn’t be in the position we are right now, but that’s the reality,” the center back commented. “What are we going to do about it? We need to try to turn it around, and that should be everyone’s mindset. The most important aspect is that everyone must take responsibility. Are they doing that? I’m not sure, but that’s necessary.”
Slot faces numerous issues, but the pathway to resolution isn’t clear for many of them.
Alongside Van Dijk in defense, Konaté has lost his form, and Slot lacks reliable alternatives to the France international. The missed deadline-day signing of Marc Guéhi from Crystal Palace now looms over Liverpool.
It should be noted that Liverpool’s backup option Giovanni Leoni, a signing from Parma, suffered a crucial ligament injury in September and will be sidelined until next season. However, Konaté’s decline has adversely affected Van Dijk, who is also suffering from the extended absence of goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who returned to action against Forest after being out since September 30.
In the left-back position, Slot has been slow to recognize that Milos Kerkez is not ready to fill in for Andy Robertson. Furthermore, the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid is continuously felt on the right side, where Liverpool has often relied on midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.
With such an inconsistent and unreliable defense, Liverpool’s midfielders are struggling to cope, especially when Wirtz is on the field. The Germany international has yet to score or assist in 11 Premier League matches, although he does have two assists in four UEFA Champions League appearances. The 22-year-old has struggled with the pace and physicality of English football, a fact opponents have promptly capitalized on.
Up front, nothing seems to work, which is astonishing considering the wealth of talent available. Isak has not netted a single league goal since joining from Newcastle United, and fan discontent regarding his work rate is palpable. Salah, last year’s Footballer of the Year, appears to be playing with the mindset that he would have preferred a move away during the summer, despite signing a new two-year contract. Meanwhile, Hugo Ekitike, once a hopeful addition of the summer transfer window, has now managed just one goal in nine appearances, and none in the Premier League for over two months.
Salah’s upcoming participation in the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt next month could potentially be a turning point for Slot. This may allow him to field Isak, Wirtz, and Ekitike with the expectation that it is their opportunity now that Salah is unavailable. Nonetheless, currently, none of them has demonstrated the capability to seize this opportunity.
Ultimately, it falls to Slot to rescue the team and prevent Liverpool from becoming the worst defending champions in Premier League history.