Liverpool at a pivotal moment: What has led to setbacks for Slot following the Premier League championship victory?

For a brief span of 10 minutes in the second half at Anfield, it felt as though time stood still. As the home crowd celebrated and waved their scarves in tribute to Dominik Szoboszlai’s exquisite free kick against Manchester City, it seemed as if the Liverpool of the previous season had reemerged, eager to remind everyone of their status as Premier League champions.

However, by the time the final whistle sounded, the only celebrations were from the away section, where the traveling City supporters reveled in their team’s first league double over Liverpool since 1937, thanks to late goals from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland. This was a scene more reflective of the disappointing narrative surrounding the Reds’ current campaign.

Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Pep Guardiola’s team marked their eighth defeat of the season in the league. They have managed to secure only six victories in their last 20 league encounters and now face a challenging path to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League, with a five-point gap between them and fourth-placed Manchester United.

– Marcotti’s Musings: Chaos at Anfield, but Man City live to fight another day
– Ogden: Klopp, Alonso, Guardiola: The 2026 coaching merry-go-round
– City’s comeback thriller vs. Liverpool keeps Premier League title race alive

While there are factors contributing to this poor performance, head coach Arne Slot cannot ignore the fact that the statistics are not encouraging. Perhaps the most pressing concern for the Dutchman is that the culture of unwavering belief and loyalty fostered by his predecessor Jürgen Klopp is now significantly at risk.

Upon his arrival in 2015, Klopp acknowledged the disenchantment among Liverpool supporters and urged them to transition from “doubters to believers.” At various points this season, it has appeared that those reserves of faith—both on the field and in the stands—have diminished.

One of Slot’s most significant challenges now is to regain the support of the fans. But is it already too late for him to reverse the trend?

Concerning decline jeopardizes Champions League aspirations

When Liverpool triumphed over Merseyside rivals Everton in September, they achieved five consecutive wins in the Premier League. At that moment, following a record-setting summer spending spree, the champions were considered the clear favorites to retain their title, even though their tendency to secure late victories raised questions about the sustainability of their success.

Those concerns have ultimately proven to be accurate, with Liverpool now closer to the relegation zone (16 points) than to league leaders Arsenal (17 points). For a team that clinched the title by a 10-point margin last season, this decline is alarming.

In their last 20 matches, Slot’s team has accumulated fewer points than 11 other Premier League clubs, including Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Everton. During the same period, they have garnered just three points more than Nottingham Forest and four more than West Ham United—both of whom are in serious danger of relegation.

Sunday’s late collapse against City means Liverpool has dropped eight points in stoppage time this season, the highest of any team in the league. This tendency to finish matches poorly might not be as detrimental if the Reds were quick starters, but they have netted only three goals in the first half-hour of league games all season, with two of those coming in the same match (the 2-1 victory over Everton in September).

play1:27Leboeuf backs VAR decision after ‘clear mistake’ from Szoboszlai

Frank Leboeuf and Craig Burley believe VAR made the correct decision to disallow Manchester City’s goal and issue Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai a red card in their intense Premier League encounter.

The narrative was similar against City, who controlled the first half before Liverpool sprang to life after the interval and rightfully took the lead through Szoboszlai in the 74th minute. However, when Silva equalized 10 minutes later, the atmosphere inside Anfield shifted dramatically, and when goalkeeper Alisson Becker unnecessarily fouled Matheus Nunes to concede a penalty in stoppage time, some fans had already begun to leave their seats.

In many respects, the match encapsulated Liverpool’s season. Individual mistakes, inadequate squad depth, and contentious officiating—City’s Marc Guéhi avoided a red card for a last-man challenge on Mohamed Salah before Szoboszlai was sent off for pulling back Haaland when he was clear on goal—were all contributing factors.

While some of these elements were beyond Slot’s control, he bears some responsibility for Liverpool’s failure to maintain and assert their dominance, both in individual matches and throughout the season.

Insufficient depth affecting Liverpool despite summer investments

One of Liverpool’s most significant challenges this season was evident even before the match against City commenced. When the team sheets were released at Anfield, the contrast in the quality of the two benches was striking, with Curtis Jones and Andy Robertson being the only Liverpool substitutes to have started four or more league matches this season.

In contrast, City had the option to bring on Rayan Cherki, Rúben Dias, and Nathan Aké from their bench, while Phil Foden, Tijjani Reijnders, and Nico González remained unused substitutes.

Despite Liverpool’s expenditure of nearly £450 million during the summer, their squad appears ill-equipped for the demands of a Premier League season. However, it should also be noted that the Reds’ recruitment efforts were partially funded by player sales, with the club having recouped a guaranteed £258.5 million (potentially rising to £294.5 million with add-ons) during Slot’s tenure.

Consequently, Liverpool’s squad depth is arguably weaker than it was last season, with key players like Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz struggling to maintain the necessary intensity for a full 90 minutes.

These difficulties have been exacerbated by a series of serious injuries to crucial players, including striker Alexander Isak, who accounts for £125 million of Liverpool’s substantial summer expenditure. Additionally, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are both sidelined for the season due to knee injuries, while Joe Gomez and Jeremie Frimpong are also unavailable.

Given the limited options, the choice not to provide Slot with any signings in January appears illogical, especially when established players such as Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Alexis Mac Allister are struggling to replicate last season’s impressive form.

Amidst all of Liverpool’s physical challenges this season, it is evident that psychological weaknesses have also hindered their performance. It is misleading to evaluate the current situation at Anfield without recognizing the tragedy that Slot and his players are navigating.

The impact of Diogo Jota’s death last summer is immeasurable and should not be used as a blanket justification for all of Liverpool’s issues. Nonetheless, remarks from vice-captain Robertson following Scotland’s World Cup qualification in November reflected the emotional strain that Slot’s squad has endured in recent months, while former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher spoke openly last week about some of the challenges his former teammates continue to face.

“I find it a bit strange and a bit difficult when I hear people speaking about the players at Liverpool and the performances, because I don’t think this season is even important from a football aspect for them,” Kelleher, who joined Brentford in the summer, told The Independent. “It’s a very difficult time for them, a difficult season, with circumstances that people probably aren’t taking into account too much.”

Nevertheless, football at the highest level is a ruthless arena, where patience and understanding are often scarce. Despite the extenuating circumstances, Slot is aware that his future will be determined by his actions moving forward—not by his past achievements—in the eyes of some supporters.

Slot burdened by the shadows of past and future managers

When managers find themselves under scrutiny, discussions often arise about whether they have lost the support of the dressing room. However, losing the backing of the fanbase can be equally detrimental to a coach’s long-term job security.

Following the defeat to City, several supporters remained to applaud Slot and his players as they exited the pitch, and the Dutchman has not yet faced the same level of in-person hostility directed at, for instance, Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank, who is also experiencing a challenging season in North London.

Twice at Anfield this season—after the 4-1 loss to PSV Eindhoven and the 1-1 draw with Burnley—a minority of fans have booed at the final whistle, but the levels of dissatisfaction within the stadium have yet to match the wave of animosity directed at Slot on social media.

In December, a BBC Sport investigation revealed that Slot—alongside then-Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim—was the most frequent target of online abuse in the men’s top flight. That level of hostility has only escalated in recent weeks. Sources have informed ESPN that the sentiment inside Anfield is that some of the criticism aimed at the manager has been personal and unjust.

Slot remains a title-winning coach and has retained the backing of the Liverpool hierarchy, even if the Champions League defeat to PSV in November raised some internal concerns. The decision last week to publish an in-house roundtable featuring Slot in discussion with sporting director Richard Hughes and CEO Billy Hogan has been interpreted by some as a public show of support for the Dutchman, while Liverpool under owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have rarely been quick to make significant decisions regarding the club’s future.

Nonetheless, it is undeniable that confidence among the fanbase is dwindling, with many of Liverpool’s performances this season doing little to alleviate the growing sense of indifference in the stands.

Klopp’s remarkable ability during his nine years on Merseyside was his knack for harnessing the atmosphere of Anfield to influence games in his team’s favor. The fact that Liverpool has already lost five home matches this season suggests that the support from fans may not be as enthusiastic or unconditional as it was under Slot’s predecessor.

Indeed, Klopp’s revered status continues to create additional challenges for Slot, whose more reserved, straightforward demeanor has been difficult for some fans to accept. Compounding this is the availability of former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso following his exit from Real Madrid, leading to a sense that Slot is being haunted by the legacies of both past and potential future managers.

“That is what you have to accept if you are a manager that is not winning enough games,” the Liverpool boss remarked last month when questioned about fan criticism. “Even if you have won something there is still room for criticism, which to a certain extent is normal because we are in a new season and I was the first to say to the players, ‘We have to forget last season.’

“I think it is fair to judge me on this season and not on last season.”

For Slot, the weight of that judgment appears to be increasing with each passing week. If he cannot swiftly restore faith at Anfield, the burden may soon become too heavy to bear.