Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Liverpool FC and Qarabag FK at Anfield on January 28, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)placeholder image
Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Liverpool FC and Qarabag FK at Anfield on January 28, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Liverpool face a fight to qualify for the Champions League this season, but how many points might they need to get over the line?
If it is any consolation, Liverpool at least seem to have secured enough points to avoid relegation.
Arne Slot continues to look safe, for now, however, had the league started after the win over Crystal Palace in September, the Reds would be sitting just four points above 20th placed Burnley and only one point above the relegation zone. Slot’s side continues to look miles off the pace despite results and the league table suggesting that they aren’t far away.
Liverpool face Champions League fight
The worrying thing for Slot now, if he didn’t have enough on his plate, is that both Chelsea and Man United have found form after replacing their managers. Both Liam Rosenior and Michael Carrick are on four game winning streaks, have overseen an upturn in performances and have galvanised their clubs.
United now sit five points clear of Liverpool in fourth place with Chelsea four points clear in fifth, there is a similar gap with goal difference too. What makes matters worse for Liverpool though, is that they are just three points above Sunderland in ninth place.
Winning the Champions League, or an English team winning the Champions League and hoping that all the English teams left in Europe continue to do well has never been more important.
Slot might take the sort of gamble that paid off so well for Ange Postecoglou. The big Aussie sacrificed Premier League points to keep players fresh for the Europa League, delivering a trophy and the reward of Champions League football. In the most Spursy of Spurs decisions, it wasn’t enough to keep his job. Slot could face a similar decision once the season draws to a close if Liverpool are still in the Champions League.
How many points Liverpool need to get fourth
Domestically, there are still 13 games left to go. This makes the respective fixture lists for Liverpool, Chelsea and United relatively even. What it also does, is make the maths a bit easier to work out in terms of how many points Slot needs to secure fourth place and guarantee Champions League football for next season.
The maximum number of points that United can accrue is 89, however, according to Opta, based on their average form, goals scored and goals conceded, they are predicted to get 62.97 (63), with Chelsea predicted to get 63.95 (64). Liverpool, are predicted to get 61 and finish in sixth.
To get 65 points and finish above the predicted points of Chelsea and United, Liverpool need another 26 points which, in 13 games, doesn’t seem unrealistic. On paper, eight wins and a couple of draws still leaves room for three defeats to achieve this total. Football though, isn’t played on paper and Slot’s task isn’t going to get any easier.
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