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Liverpool’s Premier League title defence has turned into a difficult grind. After storming to the crown last season, expectations were high that the Reds would set the pace again.
Instead, the competition has been unforgiving. Arsenal have pulled clear at the top.
Liverpool are fourth. Twelve points separate them from first place. At the halfway stage, that gap already feels heavy.
The Premier League rarely allows excuses. Squad depth matters. Consistency matters more. Liverpool made big choices in the summer. New players arrived. Familiar faces left. A new manager set new ideas in motion.
The league has punished every hesitation. Dropped points at Anfield, including the goalless draw with Leeds on New Year’s Day, have summed up the frustration. From the outside, it looks like a team searching for rhythm. From the inside, the feeling runs deeper.
Alexis Mac Allister has now admitted that the situation hurts. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the trip to Fulham, the midfielder did not hide his disappointment.
“It hurts,” he said, as he accepted that Liverpool’s title hopes are over. “Many things have changed from last season and it is not ideal, but that is the situation we are in and we have to face it and keep working to get better.”
Mac Allister pointed directly to the summer decisions. “Many things changed, as I said. New players came in to replace those who left, we changed too many things, but I prefer to keep it to myself.”
He later repeated the point when asked about Liverpool’s loss of momentum. “Many things changed, as I said. New players came in to replace those who left, we changed too many things, but I prefer to keep it to myself.”
From a Liverpool point of view, the focus now shifts to recovery and unity. Mac Allister made that clear.
“This should be a moment when we are enjoying the Premier League which we won and we should be in a much better place than we are.” He added, “It is quite clear we have amazing players, it is just about becoming a team, that is what we need.”
The midfielder also spoke personally. “Personally, without the team I am nothing and I feel like we all need to get better and think about the guy next to me, become a better team and that will help us and raise our level.”
With the title gone, targets remain. “For me it is quite clear but in terms of goals, the Champions League is there and we will definitely fight for that one because it would be a very nice one. And the FA Cup, which is a really important cup for English teams.”
He finished with a reminder of standards. “We are still there, we are going to play soon and that is another goal for us. When you play for Liverpool, you always have to fight for everything.”
Read more: Liverpool given further clarification on penalty appeal vs Leeds United
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