Worse than Moyes: Liverpool put up 3rd-worst Premier League title defence | OneFootball

Liverpool have officially put up the third-worst Premier League title defence ever.

Liverpool wrapped up an awful season on Sunday with a 1-1 draw against Brentford. It's a result that sees them finish with 60 Premier League points - a long, long way from where they were a year ago.

In fact, that tally makes it the third-worst Premier League title defence in history. That's despite somehow qualifying for the UEFA Champions League - it's safe to say they benefitted from the 5th place and a complete collapse by Chelsea.

The only worse title defences came back-to-back in 2016 and 2017. Chelsea managed just 50 points in 2016 and only rallied to that total after sacking José Mourinho mid-season.

Similarly, Leicester City managed a mere 44 the following campaign. That only came after sacking Claudio Ranieri.

Then, with 60 points, comes Arne Slot's Liverpool campaign. It's a tally that falls just one point short of Ray Harford's 61 points with Blackburn Rovers in 1996.

That was an interesting case as Harford hadn't overseen Blackburn's title win. He'd taken over after Kenny Dalglish stepped aside and Rovers didn't sack him for the low points tally, either - though, they would the following October after a poor start to the following campaign.

Manchester United's first season post-Alex Ferguson came as the next-worst. David Moyes was sacked mid-season and they'd defend their title with just 64 points.

Then you're onto 69 points and Jurgen Klopp's 2021 campaign. However, Klopp had to deal with all three of his senior centre-backs getting ruled out for the season by January.

Arne Slot: Situation Summary

Liverpool Campaign and Stats

As of 25 May 2026, Arne Slot has concluded a heavily scrutinised second season at Anfield. Following last year's Premier League title triumph, the Dutchman faced a steep decline this term, with his side suffering 12 league defeats and conceding a record 52 goals. A 1–1 draw against Brentford yesterday secured a fifth-place finish and Champions League qualification. Slot summarised the underachieving campaign in one word: "injury."

Dressing Room Friction and Future

Slot’s position has been heavily questioned amidst tactical friction, highlighted by Mohamed Salah’s public plea to return to "heavy metal" football. Fans also noticed Slot sitting alone in the dugout during the post-match lap of honour. Despite pressure from some fans and pundits, the board is backing Slot, who expects a "little transition" this summer. To reinforce his position, the club is close to appointing his long-term ally Etienne Reijnen to the coaching staff.