Liverpool's Title Defense Disaster: How They Stack Against Premier League's Most Epic Championship Collapses
It's hardly unusual for clubs to struggle after achieving their greatest success, but few anticipated this Liverpool squad would begin what appears to be a disappointing Premier League championship defense.
Whispers about a Jürgen Klopp comeback suggest things aren't going smoothly for Arne Slot at Anfield, despite guiding the Reds to their 20th league championship in 2024–25. They dominated as champions last campaign, and a record-breaking summer transfer window led many to expect another comfortable march to victory this time around.
However, due to various factors, Liverpool are absent from the top of the table. A crushing 3–0 home loss to Nottingham Forest, now managed by former Everton chief Sean Dyche, seemed like rock bottom, and fans will hope Saturday's recent defeat represents the lowest point for Slot's team.
They currently sit in 11th position in the Premier League standings and trail table-toppers Arsenal by 11 points already. Unless something extraordinary happens, there won't be a championship challenge from Liverpool's side of Merseyside, and the club is presently on course to become one of the weakest defending champions in the league's history.
Here's how their mediocre championship defense stacks up against some of the poorest we've witnessed.
The Worst Title Defences in Premier League History
Team | Season | Position | Points | Point Drop From Title-Winning Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Leicester | 2016–17 | 12th | 44 | -37 |
Chelsea | 2015–16 | 10th | 50 | -37 |
Blackburn | 1995–96 | 7th | 61 | -28 |
Man Utd | 2013–14 | 7th | 64 | -25 |
Chelsea | 2017–18 | 5th | 70 | -23 |
Leicester City fans would have gladly accepted a 12th-place finish in 2016–17, having miraculously avoided relegation just two seasons earlier. Nevertheless, in 2015–16, the Foxes achieved the most remarkable championship victory, taking advantage of a vulnerable Premier League to overcome 5,000/1 odds.
Nobody was shocked that Leicester couldn't replicate their previous season's magic in 2016–17, with the departure of midfield maestro N'Golo Kanté being a key factor in their decline. The architect of their championship success, Claudio Ranieri, was dismissed in February and succeeded by assistant Craig Shakespeare.
Leicester's fairy tale persisted in European competition, advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals, but they concluded 12th in the Premier League with 44 points, 32 fewer than they accumulated during their championship campaign.
Chelsea's dramatic fall following their championship victory in 2014–15 contributed to Leicester's rise to the top. José Mourinho alienated one person too many and lost his position during a terrible start to defending their title. The Blues sat 16th and just one point above relegation when they parted ways in December, shortly after a 2–1 defeat away to Leicester.
Guus Hiddink arrived and stabilized the situation, but they still experienced a 37-point decline and finished the campaign in tenth place.
Chelsea endured another disappointing championship defense under Antonio Conte, but their previous season's dominance meant their 23-point decrease still secured fifth place. The Blues also concluded the year by claiming the FA Cup. Conte's dispute with Diego Costa, along with the club's failure to secure priority transfer targets, were identified as primary causes of their regression.
Perhaps the effectiveness of Conte's three-at-the-back formation also diminished, with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City excelling in 2017–18 with a style of football rarely witnessed in England.
Many would contend that Manchester United's 2013–14 campaign represents the worst Premier League championship defense, with David Moyes inheriting an impossible task from Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scotsman didn't survive his first season, as an aging United squad finished seventh.
Blackburn Rovers also placed seventh in 1995–96, mainly because Sir Kenny Dalglish stepped down as manager after leading them to the championship. Ray Harford found it difficult to match the legend's achievements, but Alan Shearer continued scoring prolifically. He netted 31 times for the champions before transferring to Newcastle United.
How Liverpool Compare to Worst Premier League Title Defences
Liverpool's 18-point tally after 12 matches represents the fourth-lowest total achieved by a defending Premier League champion. Only Chelsea 2015–16 (11), Leicester 2016–17 (12) and Blackburn 1994–95 (14) managed fewer.
At their present pace, the Reds will conclude with 57 points, representing a 27-point decline and positioning them as the third-worst defending Premier League champion in history.
Their prospects of retaining the league championship for the first time since 1984 are therefore already destroyed, similar to 2020–21, when injuries prevented Klopp's team from defending their crown against Manchester City. They accumulated 30 points fewer than their commanding victory in 2019–20, but still managed third place in the table.
More encouragingly, Manchester United proceeded to claim the championship despite earning only 19 points from their first 12 matches in 1996–97. However, the Red Devils required just 75 points to succeed, with Newcastle United seven points behind in second place. Liverpool will need considerably more than 75 to retain their championship this season.