When Liverpool appointed Arne Slot to replace their legendary manager Jurgen Klopp, it left uncertainty after the German’s nine-year Premier League charge, though as he sang his name at Anfield on his day of departure, it shone a light on what the future could have in store for the Reds.
Signs looked impressive during their preseason tour of the United States, taking on both Arsenal and Manchester United in style. That run continued as they ran through the league, placing them on top of the table and clear favourites for the title by December.
Despite losing to Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fourth round and in the Champions League round of 16 to Paris Saint-Germain, they reached the Carabao Cup final, and each passing week took a greater step toward England’s holy grail. The defeat at Wembley to Newcastle was tough to take, but the main objective was set in their sights.
The 27th April 2025 will forever be a day etched in the mind of every single Kopite, the day they won the Premier League title.
The city was flooded with fans, with red clouds of smoke covering the air. As they hoisted the title in May, links began to prevail over amazing players linked to Merseyside, and similarities were made between Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, and the legacy Klopp and Slot could have shared. The following May, that sentiment was far removed from their minds.
From following in footsteps of the greats, to making steps out of the door, Slot’s reign offered plenty of promise, though ultimately, it slipped through his fingers. It’s unfair to criticise him for everything that has gone wrong this past year, though, as a head coach of a team, the blame must be pointed somewhere, and the majority lies at his feet.
Liverpool 2025 summer window
When Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong signed, the supporters were pleased to see highly attacking fullbacks join the club, viewed as realistic replacements for Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, to set the tempo in a creative and defensive state. Though the pick from the bunch was Florian Wirtz.
The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder was crucial in their Bundesliga title success, and the elite prospect was linked with some of the biggest sides in Europe. Pinching him away from Manchester City and Bayern Munich had many believe they were well and truly prepared for a title defence.
Giorgi Mamardashvili moved to Anfield from Valencia after a deal was agreed the prior season, Hugo Ekitike joined from Frankfurt, and Giovanni Leoni arrived from Italy, though their record signing didn’t move until deadline day. Alexander Isak caused destruction on English soil when Newcastle’s star forward even scored in the Carabao Cup final against Slot’s troops a few months prior. When the Swede broke the British transfer record in a £125 million deal, that was it; they were going to defend their title with everything they had.
Ropey opening matches
Prior to the signing of Isak, they took on Bournemouth on the opening day of the campaign, and found themselves comfortable up by two goals, though the Cherries eventually levelled the match a 2-2. Late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah were enough to see them through, though signs of weakness were clear to see.
The same happened in the following fixture against Newcastle, and a cameo from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha proved to be decisive as he scored a 100th-minute winner. Late goals were needed against Arsenal and Burnley to secure three points, though at least they were winning. Everton gave them a scare at Anfield, though the belief was they would soon be back on track, staring Arsenal down the barrel.
Autumn disasterous run
Selhurst Park is always a tricky place to travel for any Premier League side, and it would be late in September that they would lose their first match of the season, with Eddie Nketiah popping up to score a late winner. That second defeat would follow just a handful of days later against Galatasaray in the Champions League. By the time they played Chelsea that weekend and lost 2-1, signs of panic were truly setting in.
Defeats to Manchester United, Brentford and Crystal Palace all happened before the end of October, and what made it worse was that this big budget they had had shown little signs of promise. Robertson was preferred to Kerkez, as the Hungarian struggled to fit in. Wirtz showed glimpses of his quality, but not the overall package, while their record signing was unavailable.
The catastrophe continued as winter arrived, losing heavily to Nottingham Forest and PSV at home, before throwing away a lead at Leeds United, which was a changing point in the season for Liverpool following the game.
Mohamed Salah speaks out
In the mix zone, an unfamiliar face darted towards the journalists, that being Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian enjoyed his best campaign ever under Slot in 2024/25, though he was experiencing his worst the following season. So much had changed, and he even found himself on the bench for the prior two matches.
He made it clear that his relationship with the Dutch head coach had broken down, and people at the club wanted him gone. Mutiny had broken out in the camp, and the fanbase was now divided, some in favour of Slot and some in Salah’s corner, though no matter what, the bad trend of results continued.
A dire end to the season
Draws at home to newly promoted Leeds and Burnley were ridiculous in comparison to the highs of last season, a shocking performance once again at Anfield soon came when they met Man City, and a defeat to bottom-of-the-league Wolves was rubbing further salt in the wounds.
Whatever Slot was trying, none of it was working as they couldn’t move out of the trap they found themselves in. No one looked sharper than they did in August, and a lack of identity on the field was becoming a major concern. While his first fixture at home against Spurs symbolised unity, his second was the opposite. It was the first time booes were heard loud and clear from the terraces after they drew 0-0, and they followed once again in May when Chelsea got themselves a point on Merseyside.
A defeat to Aston Villa a week later, their 12th league loss of the season, still put their Champions League place at risk, and Salah once again came out to criticise the head coach before he left Liverpool after nine glorious years. A draw to Brentford appitomised their season, dull, boring and one they let get away from themselves again as they drew 1-1. As the players made their way around the field, the Dutchman was slumped in the dugout, now just a shadow of the man who was dancing around the ground with the league title 12 months prior.
Slot’s legacy
As the news broke on the 30th May that he was relieved of his duties, some were shocked by the sudden news, though it shouldn’t have been so surprising. Having scraped into the top five was never going to provide the needed security for his role, with a single year of his contract remaining.
It’s not to say he had it easy; Luis Diaz was influential in their title win, though his sale never triggered an out-and-out replacement, and the same could be said for Jarrel Quansah, as a deal for Marc Guehi was left for the final hours of deadline day. The tragic passing of Diogo Jota will have played a part on the squad, a challenging period for the players and staff to have to go through.
No one can take away his success, and he will be fondly remembered for bringing the 20th league title to Liverpool, to draw level with Manchester United, though this past season has ruined his image for many.
A lack of player improvement or tactical identification can only be pointed at Slot, which has ultimately caused the clubs and his own downfall. A period that promised so much ended in a way no one could have expected on the 27th April 2025, a time where bonds were built are now in decay as a new man must now walk the line.