Liverpool lost 2-1 to Manchester City on Sunday as their chances of securing Champions League qualification took a massive blow.
Last week, I wrote about how the Manchester clubs had a huge role to play in Liverpool’s season and, unfortunately, the worst case scenario this weekend was realised.
Michael Carrick took United to their fourth consecutive win while City denied them three points.
Liverpool are now five points behind United and four behind Chelsea in the race to finish in the top four.
There are 13 games left. If Liverpool are going to finish in the top four, they are most likely going to need to win 10; 4 of the last 6 are Everton (a), Man Utd (a), Chelsea (h), Aston Villa (a).
They will need the consistency of champions to get it done. It’s a huge task.
— Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) February 8, 2026
Arne Slot says Liverpool’s progress is clear to see, but he must be one of a few sect that feels this way. The Reds have made some improvements but have shown no sign of putting together a winning run in the Premier League.
Arne Slot blamed for Liverpool performance against Man City, particularly first half
Liverpool have spent the entire season waxing and waning between dire displays and threatening to break out of this frustrating cycle.
The Reds have played 25 games this season in the Premier League. Just 11 have ended in victory while the 2-1 defeat to Man City now means they have lost eight league games – double last season’s total already with 13 games to go.
They’ve also drawn six times, dropping points on 14 occasions.
Liverpool with 6 wins, 6 draws, 8 defeats, 24 points in their last 20 Premier League games.
Obviously a different context, but Roy Hodgson had 20 league games in charge of #LFC – 7 wins, 4 draws, 9 losses, 25 points.
Tough to explain.
— Michael Reid (@michael_reid11) February 8, 2026
Liverpool are so poor in the first half of games that they given themselves almost no chance to win consistently and Steve Nicol noticed the same issue against Pep Guardiola’s team.
“I’ve never seen a Liverpool side as negative, sitting on the edge of their box at Anfield against anybody. That’s what they did, they took no part in the game,” he told ESPN FC.
“I think what made me the angriest of all was that after Szoboszlai scored they’ve got the momentum, they’ve got City by the throat, they go and sit on top of their box again. They completely just stood off.”
Liverpool have forsaken their high pressing tactics under Slot and while each coach has the right to prefer one tactical philosophy, it’s tough to name a single team with major success over the last decade that didn’t utilise strong counter-pressing tactics.
Nicol continued: “The first half 100 per cent is Slot’s doing. I think the fact that Liverpool have lost so many goals this season the way they have, players automatically take a step back but that’s when the manager has to step in and say ‘get yourself up’. That was the biggest thing that annoyed me. You go ahead, the game’s there for you, you took a step back, sit on top of your box and then it falls apart.”