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Why Arne Slot can take inspiration from Pep Guardiola as he bids to steer Liverpool out of their current crisis
Liverpool manager Arne Slot spent over £400million on new players, but right now, he needs a commodity far more precious. Time.
The Dutchman performed a stellar job in guiding the Reds to a cherished 20th league title in his first season in charge last term, equalling the record of bitter rivals Manchester United.
But after six defeats in their last seven Premier League matches, Slot is coming under mounting scrutiny.
Here, DAZN News’ Ross Heppenstall assesses the crisis as he bids to turn Liverpool’s dreadful season around – starting tonight at home to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
How dire is the situation?
Liverpool have all but surrendered the Premier League title they won last season following a truly shocking run of results.
They started the campaign with seven straight wins in all competitions, but were not convincing in a number of those games.
In late September, the rot set in with a defeat at Crystal Palace, a loss at Galatasaray in the Champions League, and further setbacks in the Premier League against Chelsea and Manchester United.
Then came a 5-1 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League, but it has been a case of one step forward, two steps back.
That thumping win in Germany was followed by a 3-2 defeat at Brentford and then a humiliating 3-0 home loss to Palace in the Carabao Cup.
While they responded to that defeat with home wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid, successive 3-0 setbacks against Manchester City and Nottingham Forest set the alarm bells ringing loudly.
Getting outclassed at the Etihad earlier this month was one thing; being turned over so easily by Forest at home last weekend was quite another.
Crucially, however, Liverpool are well placed to progress in the Champions League, having won three of their opening four games.
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What are the root cause of Slot’s problems?
It is difficult to know where to start. Liverpool’s woes run deep, and the transition within their squad is clearly a huge factor.
The Reds spent a staggering £415million – the biggest summer spending spree in European football history – on the likes of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Few, though, have proved a success in the opening months of the season, and Isak was virtually anonymous during last weekend’s dismal defeat to Forest.
He and Wirtz have not bedded in properly yet, and the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold has been felt, too.
Ibrahima Konate has struggled badly for form at the heart of Liverpool’s defence, but he is far from alone.
Captain Virgil van Dijk has also come under fire from pundits such as Wayne Rooney for his performances this season.
The tragic death of the hugely popular Diogo Jota during the summer has also cast a huge shadow over the club.
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How much pressure is Slot actually under?
Slot still has plenty of credit in the bank with Liverpool supporters and surely the hierarchy, too. After inheriting Jurgen Klopp’s team, he guided the Reds to the title, and he did it in style.
The overhaul during the summer has proved difficult to handle, and the failure to sign another centre-half already looks costly.
Liverpool chairman Tom Werner was at Anfield on Saturday to witness the Forest debacle, but there are no signs whatsoever that Slot is about to be fired.
He has a win percentage of 64% in his first 75 matches as Reds boss and seems safe for now.
Liverpool supporters are known for their patience and loyalty, although Slot must fix their current form and fast.
Is there a precedent for such an unexpected crisis?
Yes. Liverpool’s slump has echoes of Manchester City’s traumatic 2024-25 campaign, when Pep Guardiola’s men went into last season on the back of winning four successive Premier League titles.
But they suffered a dreadful run of form heading into the winter months, and a staggering fall-off saw them win just once in 13 games in all competitions.
Yet Guardiola – and City – held their nerve and the deposed champions eventually finished the season in third place in the Premier League.
Now they look like Arsenal's most likely challengers domestically, and in Europe, they are flying high too.
There are lessons to be learned from that at Anfield.
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What must Slot do to save Liverpool’s season?
Winning the Champions League for a start. A huge ask, of course, but not beyond the realms of possibility.
Liverpool host PSV tonight in the Champions League with a strong chance of finishing in the top eight and qualifying automatically for the round of 16.
Rafa Benitez famously guided the Reds to European glory in 2005 with the ‘Miracle of Istanbul,’ and Klopp also won the Champions League in 2019.
If European football’s biggest prize proves beyond Liverpool, then securing Champions League football by finishing in the top four of the Premier League is the bare minimum requirement.
Slot also has the FA Cup to aim for, but failure to qualify for the Champions League next season after their huge summer outlay would leave the Reds boss with some big questions to answer.
Slot needs defensive reinforcements for the second half of the season and may look to Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi in January.
Liverpool tried and failed to sign Guehi during the summer, but with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, the Eagles could look to cash in on him in the January window.
Full Champions League fixture list for Matchday 5
Tuesday 25 November
- Ajax vs Benfica
- Galatasaray vs Union Saint-Gilloise
- Bodø / Glimt vs Juventus
- Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal
- Chelsea vs Barcelona
- Manchester City vs Bayer Leverkusen
- Marseille vs Newcastle United
- Napoli vs Qarabağ
- Slavia Prague vs Athletic Club
Wednesday 26 November
- Copenhagen vs Kairat
- Pafos vs Monaco
- Arsenal vs Bayern Munich
- Atletico Madrid vs Inter Milan
- Eintracht Frankfurt vs Atalanta
- Liverpool vs PSV
- Olympiakos vs Real Madrid
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Tottenham Hotspur
- Sporting CP vs Club Brugge
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How to watch the Champions League in the USA on DAZN
Soccer fans in the US can watch the Champions League in the Spanish language as part of their DAZN subscription package.
An annual upfront payment is $224.99, while paying monthly for 12 months is $19.99 and also provides access to 185 fight nights a year across boxing, MMA, PFL, BKFC, Glory and much more.
CBS has coverage of every Champions League match in the English language this season. You can get more details and subscribe to CBS's Champions League coverage here.
Fans can watch extra Champions League games in Spanish on ViX. A selection of those matches are also available on UNIMÁS and TUDN.
How to watch the Champions League in New Zealand on DAZN
Every Champions League game during the 2025-26 season is streamed in high definition and comes as part of a DAZN subscription.
An annual subscription costs $14.99 per month for 12 months and also provides access to 185 fight nights a year across boxing, MMA, PFL, BKFC, Glory and much more.
How to watch the Champions League in Canada on DAZN
Watch every game of the Champions League this season in Canada with a DAZN subscription.
There are three subscription options, each offering a different selection of sports. Access to every Champions League match is included in all three package offerings, ranging from $29.99 to $44.99 per month (for 12 months)
