Liverpool are falling apart thanks to a disastrous transfer decision | OneFootball

Two-thirds of the way into the season and Liverpool are closer to Brentford than Chelsea, nearer in terms of points to their neighbours Everton than their old enemies Manchester United. Still more damningly, they are further from league leaders Arsenal, 17 ahead of them, than West Ham, 16 behind them in the relegation zone.

It was an understatement to say their campaign was not supposed to go this way; not as defending champions, not with the £450m of spending that Arne Slot prefers to see referenced in terms of the £300m Liverpool have brought in during his reign.

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Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool react after a late loss to Man City (Getty)

Last February, it was victory against Manchester City that, in effect, seemed to seal the title. It sent Liverpool 11 points clear with 11 games to play. A year on, defeat to Pep Guardiola’s team, in another game when Dominik Szoboszlai scored, left Liverpool with a very different equation. A loss at the Etihad Stadium in November had Slot conceding Liverpool could not talk about the title. As City completed a first league double over Liverpool since 1937, it leaves them as outsiders to qualify for the Champions League.

Arguably Liverpool have had worse results of late without losing – the home draws with Leeds and Burnley – but the context rendered this a terrible weekend. Chelsea won, Manchester United too. Liverpool are four points from fifth; and while fifth is almost certain to bring Champions League football, they are playing catch-up when short of players, without the benefit of form, and with an intimidating fixture list.

Some 13 other teams have taken more points in 2026. Liverpool have 13 matches to go. But only six are at home. Their trips include Sunderland, the only team unbeaten at home, Everton, for the first derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium, United and Aston Villa. It is more an obstacle course than a fixture list.

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Liverpool manager Arne Slot faces an uphill battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League (PA Wire)

The sands are shifting, and not in the direction Slot would want. “If you compare that to three or four months ago, you see so much improvement,” he said. “But the issue is you don’t see the improvement in the league table.” The broader picture may support his analysis. Liverpool had lost nine of 12 in all competitions. Now they have only been beaten twice in 17. Yet if those damaging draws could make the difference, other elements may be decisive.

Liverpool started the season as the specialists in late goals. Now, equalling a Premier League record, they have been condemned to defeat in injury time four times: at Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Bournemouth and now at home to City. “It’s every time a different goal, of course,” said Slot. The latest stemmed from a rare Alisson error, conceding the penalty Erling Haaland scored. Liverpool could still rue over-committing to attack at Stamford Bridge, which brought a three-point swing in Chelsea’s direction. Both Palace and Bournemouth’s late goals came from long throws: if set-pieces are a theme of Liverpool’s season, their expensive overhaul has seemed to leave them without enough height.

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Dominik Szoboszlai’s absence will highlight a weakness in Liverpool’s squad planning (REUTERS)

Or enough available defenders. Liverpool are unfortunate to have four defensive injuries, including season-ending ones to Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley, but even as they prioritised next season by arranging the summer signing of Jeremy Jacquet, they failed to address an immediate need on deadline day. Szoboszlai was only a stand-in right-back and now he is suspended. Jeremie Frimpong will not be back at Sunderland on Wednesday and Joe Gomez probably won’t. That may mean Curtis Jones or Wataru Endo is the next emergency right-back.

A lack of strength in depth is a wider problem, and perhaps a reason why they can concede late. They have been breached 12 times in the final 15 minutes of games – only Newcastle, Leeds and Bournemouth have let in more – and it could reflect a shortage of high-class substitutes. Which, given the outlay, might sound ridiculous, but Liverpool have seemed permanently stretched, Slot left short-staffed. Injuries are only part of the explanation for that. The decision-makers, Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards, who assume more responsibility for the transfer business, are partly culpable.

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Rayan Cherki’s presence off the bench exposed Liverpool’s shortcomings (Getty Images)

On Sunday, a substitute, Rayan Cherki, helped make the difference for City. It seemed indisputable that Guardiola had the stronger bench. Liverpool contrived to spend a fortune and yet look in need of several more signings.

That can come with a cost and Slot invariably talks of Liverpool’s self-sustaining model. Jurgen Klopp was equally aware of it, and of the financial significance of qualifying for the Champions League. He felt it was a priority every season even when outsiders assumed it would come automatically. Now the risk is that Liverpool’s income drops considerably next year.

For Slot, there is an added importance. He has the backing of the Liverpool hierarchy for now, even if not all of the fanbase are behind him. It may be harder to retain that support without Champions League qualification. And now it has started to look more likely that their European football will come on Thursday nights next season.