It is only 214 days since Liverpool was confirmed as the 2024/25 Premier League champion. Beating Spurs 5-1, it had strolled to the title at the first time of asking under Arne Slot.
Seven months on, there are severe questions over whether Slot is the right man to address a calamitous slide. "No matter how much goodwill the manager has, Liverpool Football Club cannot sustain the drop in standards witnessed over the past three months," Jamie Carragher said this week. "He has a week to save his job."
Where did it all go wrong, though, and how can Liverpool get out of its current rut? There are several factors that have led the club to this point.
Marc Guehi transfer collapses
When Crystal Palace failed to source a replacement for Marc Guehi in the summer, it was fair enough that Oliver Glasner was insistent that his captain couldn't leave.
Liverpool had already signed Giovanni Leoni at that point, and while his ACL setback couldn't have been foreseen, he is only 18. It was Guehi who would have offered a greater level of competition at center-back.
Not the tallest, by any means, and with not-particularly-outstanding numbers when it comes to aerial duels, would Guehi have solved the problems Liverpool has had with set-pieces and long throws? Perhaps not.
Marc Guehi claps on the pitch
Marc Guehi almost moved to Liverpool in the summer (Image: Getty Images)
But what he would have done is offer a genuine alternative to the flailing Ibrahima Konate. Liverpool remains interested in Guehi for a reason: he is a solid defender. For much of this season, the Reds have been anything but stable.
Guehi may not have been perfect, and he might have struggled amid the chaos, too, but he would have done a better job than Konate has, almost certainly. Having an extra option would have likely made a tangible difference.
Dire run of results begins
Talking of Crystal Palace, it was against Glasner's men that Liverpool's run of nine defeats in 12 games began. It was a late winner from Eddie Nketiah that proved costly on that day, but familiar issues were present at the back.
Jeremie Frimpong switched off on that occasion, but each of his teammates has taken turns at doing the same thing since.
Liverpool was unconvincing then but has only gotten worse since. And even before that game, the signs were there, with matches against the likes of Bournemouth already having exposed some cracks.
Eddie Nketiah of Crystal Palace celebrates scoring
Eddie Nketiah celebrates scoring Crystal Palace's stoppage-time winning goal against Liverpool (Image: Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
Losing at home to Man Utd
It feels like a long time ago now, but Manchester United winning at Anfield — not least with such ease — was a major red flag. Ruben Amorim's men are used to being the Premier League's crisis club, but Liverpool has taken the mantle.
Harry Maguire's late goal secured a rare victory for Manchester United — its first in L4 since 2016 — but it was pretty obvious early on, when Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring, that things were not right.
Other games have gone wrong for Liverpool around this one, which has understandably taken the focus. In the grand scheme of things, however, it is probably the one that hurt Reds fans the most.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 19: Harry Maguire of Manchester United applauds the fans following the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield on October 19, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Harry Maguire of Manchester United applauds the travelling fans following the Premier League win at Liverpool (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Losing at home to Nottingham Forest
Losing 3-0 to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium can happen. Going down without a fight against Nottingham Forest at Anfield, though, was a sackable offense in the eyes of many.
Liverpool collapsed as soon as it went behind, with Virgil van Dijk saying the players were letting Slot down and Cody Gakpo labeling the defeat as "embarrassing".
There would be a reaction to that, though, surely? Well, no. Not a positive one, anyway.
The defeat against PSV was dire, but when was rock bottom reached? That you can argue the case either way tells you everything you need to know.
Arne Slot's Liverpool sits at 12th in the standings
Arne Slot's Liverpool sits at 12th in the standings (Image: Getty)
Another three-goal defeats
If the home defeat to Nottingham Forest was embarrassing, the second-half collapse against PSV was even meeker. Liverpool didn't start well in the Champions League, and even when it pulled itself level, it still managed to fall apart in a sorry mess.
While previous losses could be explained away by set-pieces and teams being more physical than the Reds could cope with, this saw the Dutch side stroll through without being challenged. Liverpool was outplayed, with no signs of a cohesive press or even just some fight.
Right now, Liverpool is in its worst run of form in seven decades, and there are no signs that things will get better soon. Next up, the Reds have West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds, where anything less than two wins would severely turn up the pressure even more.