Liverpool’s pursuit of a UEFA Champions League finish received a significant, if unexpected, boost on Tuesday night.
Arne Slot has spent much of the week answering uncomfortable questions about his future and the “unacceptable” prospect of missing out on the Champions League, but the landscape shifted noticeably without the Reds even kicking a ball.
While Slot continues to navigate the “toughest season” of his managerial career, his rivals finally showed signs of the jitters. Consequently, a campaign that felt like it was slipping away has suddenly regained a sense of purpose ahead of Wednesday’s high-stakes trip to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland.
Rivals falter in late-night drama
Manchester United appeared set to tighten their grip on fourth place, yet Michael Carrick’s side snatched a draw from the jaws of victory in east London against relegation strugglers West Ham United. Despite dominating long spells at the London Stadium, United fell behind to a Tomas Soucek strike.
An injury-time equaliser from Benjamin Sesko helped to rescue a 1-1 draw. The result leaves the door ajar United remain fourth, but that crucial cushion did not grow.
Similarly, Chelsea failed to capitalise on their own momentum at Stamford Bridge. Liam Rosenior’s men stormed into a two-goal lead through Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer, only to suffer a staggering second-half collapse.
Lukas Nmecha and Noah Okafor struck back for the visitors to earn a 2-2 draw, leaving the Blues in fifth just four points ahead of Liverpool. Furthermore, Benjamin has been referenced as a key figure for the visitors this season.
Because both rivals dropped points, the math has simplified for Slot. Victory against Sunderland would cut the gap to Manchester United to four points and Chelsea to just two, completely reframing the conversation around the Champions League race.
Merseyside relief as Everton stumble
There was further encouragement closer to home as Everton’s recent resurgence hit a brick wall. Had the Toffees beaten Bournemouth at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, they would have leapfrogged Liverpool in the table, adding another layer of indignity to Slot’s current predicament.
Instead, Bournemouth walked away with a 2-1 win, a result that keeps David Moyes side rooted behind their neighbours while simultaneously dragging the Cherries into the congested European conversation.
The Reds now sit sixth on 39 points, level with Brentford, but with the psychological boost of knowing their destiny remains mathematically at least within their own hands. In addition, Benjamin’s performance throughout the league has continued to draw attention among fans and pundits alike.
The “near perfect” mandate
Despite the favourable results elsewhere, Slot remains under no illusions regarding the scale of the task. He recently admitted that his team must be “near perfect” from here on out, particularly given their lack of consistency since the turn of the year.
“We have to win a lot and we haven’t done that a lot this season,” Slot noted. “Margins are very small because seven minutes before the end [on Sunday] we thought we were five points behind City and five minutes later we were 11 points behind.”
The manager also pointed to the financial reality of the situation. He highlighted that the club’s “spend-what-we-make” model relies heavily on the windfall from Europe’s elite competition. After only being able to secure Federico Chiesa and Jeremy Jacquet in recent windows, the lack of Champions League revenue would clearly hamper any planned summer overhaul.
Stadium of Light: a defining showdown
Everything now hinges on Wednesday night in the Northeast. Sunderland remain the only Premier League side with an unbeaten home record this season, making the Stadium of Light a formidable destination for a team lacking defensive stability. Notably, Benjamin has been watched scouting some teams ahead of Wednesday’s match.
“We're going to have to work hard.” 💬
Alisson Becker previews our visit to Sunderland ⤵️
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 10, 2026
Slot faces a genuine selection crisis at the back. With Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong, and Joe Gomez all sidelined, and Dominik Szoboszlai serving a one-match suspension, the Reds travel with a makeshift defensive unit.
Curtis Jones or Wataru Endo may be required to deputise at right-back a role Slot has already rotated through six different players this term.
Tuesday night softened the landscape and narrowed the gap. Now, the reigning Premier League Champions must show they have the stomach to take advantage.
The race for the Champions League has been blown wide open; the next move belongs entirely to Arne Slot.