Liverpool Faces Worst Title Defense After Shocking Losses

LIVERPOOL, England — Liverpool Football Club is in a crisis as the defending champions face the possibility of becoming the worst title defense in Premier League history following a series of shocking defeats. Manager Arne Slot‘s team, known for their previous success, has suddenly slumped to 12th place after 12 matches.

Despite spending £450 million on new signings to secure their dominance in the league, Liverpool’s defense of their title has been chaotic. The team has suffered six defeats in their last seven matches, including a 3-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, marking their sixth defeat in seven league games.

This dismal performance mirrors that of José Mourinho‘s Chelsea squad in the 2014-15 season, who experienced a similarly poor title defense with seven losses in their first 12 matches. By comparison, teams like Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City also struggled in their title defenses but managed to finish better than where Liverpool currently stands.

The pressure is mounting on Slot, who took over from Jürgen Klopp, as key players struggle to find their form. Notably, new signings, including Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, have yet to make a significant impact on the pitch, with Isak failing to score since his arrival and Wirtz lacking goals and assists in his appearances.

Slot acknowledged his responsibility for the team’s poor performance, stating, “I can never come up with enough excuses for our results. That is far from good enough and I am responsible for that.”

The captain of Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk, echoed this sentiment, highlighting a shared responsibility among the players for the current situation. “As the champions, we can’t be in the situation we are in right now,” he said. “We’re going to try to turn it around.”

Liverpool’s next challenge comes in the Champions League, where they hope to shift focus from their league troubles when they host PSV Eindhoven at Anfield on Wednesday. The team has seen modest success in European competition, winning three of their four matches so far.

With a critical match ahead, the question remains whether Liverpool can turn their season around and avoid becoming the worst defending champions in history.