Six months ago today, Liverpool clinched their 20th league title amid scenes of euphoria at Anfield after a 5-1 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur. Right now, that feels like a completely different epoch.
In the past 30 days, the Reds have lost as many Premier League matches (four) as they did in the entirety of 2024/25, and two of the latter came after the trophy had been secured.
From being five points clear of Arsenal a month ago, Arne Slot’s team are now seven adrift of Arsenal and have dropped to seventh, being equidistant in terms of points between the table-topping Gunners and 17th-placed Fulham.
Sky Sports poll issues damning Liverpool verdict
Sky Sports ran a poll asking the question ‘Will Liverpool retain the Premier League title?’, and only 7% replied ‘yes’.
Speaking on the broadcaster’s Fan Club show, ex-QPR and Southampton striker Charlie Austin sided with the 93% who don’t envisage the Reds lifting the trophy next May.
He said: “They’ve lost four games in a row. They’re seven points behind Arsenal now, and Arsenal are the only team who are consistent at the moment. They’re doing what Liverpool did last year – not playing great, but winning games of football, and the others are just dropping off.
“On Liverpool, [losing] four games on the spin in the Premier League – it’s a dire situation at the moment. I’ve not seen enough from Liverpool since the start of the season to say they’re gonna go and win the league, let along after these four games
“In these four games they have been poor, and they’ve not even deserved to win.”
Liverpool need to turn the tide soon if they’re to retain the title
The scorelines may suggest that Liverpool are simply unfortunate to keep coming out on the wrong side of recent games – each of their defeats has been by one goal, and they were denied creditable draws away to Crystal Palace and Chelsea by stoppage-time hammer blows.
However, when watching all of the Reds’ matches as a whole this season, the performances have been deeply flawed, even in the sequence of seven straight wins in all competitions before the tide-turning setback at Selhurst Park a month ago.
The 5-1 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt last week unfortunately proved to be a false dawn, and John Aldridge has echoed the thoughts of many LFC supporters by lamenting the team’s ‘naive’ approach to defending and – scathingly – a lack of ‘desire’ among the players.
The league table backs up the former complaint – Liverpool have already let in 14 goals in the top flight this season, compared to a miserly three for Arsenal. It doesn’t take the most forensic of tactical insight to deduce one of the core problems in Slot’s side right now.
Jamie Carragher has said that the Reds are now in ‘crisis time‘, and it’s hard to disagree, although there’s still 75% of the campaign remaining to overhaul a seven-point gap to the Gunners.
That’s definitely not insurmountable, and the individiual quality is there in our squad to lift ourselves out of the current slump. That needs to happen sooner rather than later, though, or else our title hopes will realistically be over before Christmas.
Harsh truth is needed, not putting your hands over your ears burying the head in the sand. Like some on here. Who know nothing about football. No club has won the league title, premier league in 40 years after losing four consecutive league games. We’ve already lost four, we are course course to concede about 50 goals, we are going to lose at least another four. We have it all to do to get champions league next season.
Forget about winning the premier league this season. It’s gone. Only the clueless can’t see it or won’t say it.
We can’t defend. Arsenal can.
Couldn’t agree more unless they change the tactics they won’t get 4th . The back 4 need to stop olaying so far up the park teams know now all they have to do is take out the midfield by playing the long ball
Yes , long ball, Arne sussed that from the Eintract F post-match interview.
A greed.
One would think quicker tracking back defenders were required in respect to how quick the opposition strikers/wingers are.
Don’t forget the £450m, kid.