When Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy last season, few imagined that only months later, the same team would be struggling to win a game.
The Reds opened this campaign with five straight victories, sweeping aside top rivals like Arsenal and looking every bit the defending champions. But fast forward to late October, and the mood has changed. After their 3-2 loss to Brentford FC, the club has now lost four straight Premier League matches — the same number of defeats they suffered last season when they clinched the title, and only the fourth time in the club’s history they’ve suffered such a run.
What has gone wrong?
Too many changes, too quickly
After the title win, Liverpool spent big. They signed Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitiké up front. At the same time, key departures and ageing players changed the defensive frame: Trent Alexander-Arnold left, and full-back Andrew Robertson lost his place. Critics say the recruitment lacked a clear plan.
Tactics shifted too. Manager Arne Slot moved toward lighter, possession-based play. But in a Premier League now defined by long throws, set-pieces and physical duels, Liverpool’s defence has been exposed. They have conceded from multiple set-piece situations and are among the league’s worst-performing defences after nine matches. Slot admitted after one loss: “Teams have a strategy against us, and we haven’t found an answer yet.”.
A fragile back line
Under coach Arne Slot, Liverpool’s defence has looked uncertain. In the loss to Brentford, Slot admitted his team was out-fought.
“They won more duels, more second balls,” he said. “We didn’t do the basics right.”
Former defender Jamie Carragher described the current situation as “crisis mode,” saying the champions appear unrecognisable from the side that dominated only months ago.
Tragedy and its toll
Behind the tactical issues lies tragedy. The club mourned the death of former forward Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash in July along with his brother, André Silva. Captain Virgil van Dijk acknowledged the emotional weight: “We’ve lost a great friend. We need to go through this as one.”
Fans continue to sing Jota’s name in the 20th minute of every match, a haunting reminder of the emotional weight the squad carries.
Star forward Mohamed Salah has also struggled. Once the league’s top scorer and assist maker, he only ended a seven-game non-penalty drought in the recent loss to Brentford.
What comes next
Liverpool still have time to recover. They sit seven points behind the top and have shown flashes of brilliance in Europe, including a 5–1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.
Slot insists the team must rediscover its identity. “It’s a challenge,” he said. “We have to make it work.”
But unless Liverpool find balance between emotion, tactics, and discipline, their title defence may already be over.
Is there hope?
Yes, Liverpool still have the squad, resources and Champions League experience to recover. But the clock is ticking. For a title defence, they must find consistency, rebuild their spine and rediscover their identity quickly.
As Van Dijk put it:
“We need each other and we need the support… we will get out of this.”
But will talk alone be enough?
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