Why Liverpool's Season Has Completely Fallen Apart

Yet another catastrophic result for Liverpool.

Friday night's 4–2 loss to Aston Villa came as little shock, with the Reds collapsing once more at the slightest hint of adversity. A match that could have sealed Champions League qualification instead turned into a nightmare during a punishing second half at Villa Park.

For what feels like the hundredth time this season, Liverpool were outmuscled and outplayed, their weaknesses ruthlessly exposed by a Villa side displaying the structure and determination that the reigning Premier League champions so desperately lack.

Liverpool's shortcomings have been laid bare repeatedly this season, their 20th loss representing a new painful low for Arne Slot and his squad. Supporters, rightfully enraged by their team's deterioration, are eager for this wretched campaign to conclude, and they'll finally be put out of their misery next weekend against Brentford.

But what has gone so catastrophically wrong for Liverpool this season?

Reckless Summer Spending

Looking back, it all seemed so promising. Liverpool were celebrated for 'winning the transfer window' last summer after investing over $600 million in new recruits, and the optimism was understandable. Elite talents were brought in, with Florian Wirtz and Premier League record signing Alexander Isak appearing to have the ability and pedigree to inspire genuine belief.

Yet, as has been demonstrated time and again at the highest level, world-class names alone don't guarantee success.

To finance their summer splurge, Liverpool were compelled to offload several contributors from their title-winning campaign. In hindsight, letting Luis Díaz depart was an unnecessary risk, while even squad players like Jarell Quansah and Darwin Núñez left gaps that were never adequately addressed. The tragic passing of Diogo Jota cannot be overlooked either, and the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold's brilliance has been keenly felt.

Liverpool transformed from a well-drilled, hard-working unit into a collection of individuals, each seemingly more focused on personal expression than collective effort. Of the seven first-team signings from last summer, only Hugo Ekitiké can be regarded as an unqualified success. The new full-backs have disappointed, while Wirtz and Isak have both struggled to make an impact.

Abandoning their proven transfer philosophy has backfired spectacularly, and Liverpool must revert to their disciplined, structured approach in the market this summer.

Mohamed Salah's Drop Off

Liverpool owed so much to Mohamed Salah's brilliance last season. Slot would never have lifted the Premier League trophy in his first year without the Egyptian's extraordinary output. Salah delivered 29 goals and 18 assists in the league alone, producing one of the most remarkable individual seasons the competition has ever witnessed.

This season, however, age has begun to take its toll, with his performances and underlying statistics declining sharply. Salah has managed just 13 goal involvements in the Premier League — 14 fewer than his previous worst season at Liverpool (2020–21). A dip was anticipated, but the severity of his decline caught almost everyone off guard.

Compounding matters, those around him have done little to ease the goalscoring burden. Only Ekitiké has been involved in more Premier League goals than Salah this season, with Wirtz and Isak combining for a mere 12 between them. Very few have stepped up when Liverpool needed them most.

Salah was overdue a difficult year, but there is no justification for his teammates failing to compensate.

Defensive Disarray

Liverpool's backline has faced intense and well-deserved criticism throughout this campaign.

Following the Villa thrashing, the Reds have now shipped 52 league goals — more than in any other 38-game Premier League season in their history. Across all competitions, they have conceded 77, the second-highest total of the Premier League era.

Every area of Liverpool's squad warrants scrutiny for those figures. An attack unwilling to press and a midfield too easily bypassed have left the defense vulnerable, but the backline itself must bear the greatest share of the blame.

Alisson's injury absences have caused disruption. Ibrahima Konaté has been a shadow of himself amid speculation over his future. Virgil van Dijk's decline has been alarming. Milos Kerkez has found it difficult to settle. The right-back position has been a persistent problem all season due to a combination of injuries and underperforming players.

All of these issues, coupled with Slot's failure to shore up a leaky defense, have left Liverpool simply too fragile to compete this season.

Lack of Intensity

Jürgen Klopp's time at Liverpool introduced the concept of 'gegenpressing' to English football. A system built on relentless pressing to recover possession quickly in threatening areas, it proved devastatingly effective at Anfield, with Klopp's side engineered to operate at blistering pace and overwhelm the opposition.

Under Slot, Liverpool have shifted to a more composed, possession-based style, with last summer's recruitment aimed at providing greater control and technical quality. Tireless workers were replaced by technically gifted players, but that transition has left the Reds without a clear identity and, most critically, without intensity.

The Premier League is unforgiving to teams that operate below full throttle and lack defensive organization, and Liverpool's passive approach off the ball has further exposed their vulnerability. Too easy to play through and lacking the physicality to match their opponents' energy, it is no wonder the Reds have suffered defeat so frequently.

Slot's Deficiencies

Whatever goodwill Slot had built among Liverpool supporters has now completely run dry. The Dutchman has exhausted every ounce of credit accumulated from last season's Premier League triumph, and winning back the Anfield faithful represents his most daunting challenge yet.

Liverpool's performances and results this season have been wholly unacceptable, particularly given the enormous investment made last summer. The rot set in around February 2025, since when the Reds have been in a steady freefall — and things continue to deteriorate week by week.

Tellingly, individual players have regressed under Slot's management. Only Dominik Szoboszlai is performing better than he did in 2024–25, while Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo, Konaté and Salah have all dropped noticeably below their previous standards. Slot has proven unable to arrest their declines or elevate the performances of those around them.

A failure to address recurring problems has defined Slot's season. Liverpool remain alarmingly vulnerable from set pieces, having conceded the most goals from such situations (20) in the Premier League this term, while glaring weaknesses across every department have gone unresolved. The consistently poor displays raise serious questions about what is actually being worked on in training.

Slot is not solely responsible for Liverpool's dismal campaign, but his contribution to it has been substantial. Keeping him on for another season would be a significant gamble, particularly with credible alternatives available in the market.