Top-four tussle: Liverpool face Champions League chasers in season-defining quartet of games | OneFootball

After a summer where Liverpool broke the British transfer record twice and spent the most money of any reigning Premier League champions, few people would have predicted such a disastrous title defence.

Arne Slot’s side opened their campaign with five straight league wins before suffering their first defeat to Crystal Palace.

That defeat triggered a run of four straight Premier League losses for the Reds, who picked up just three points from seven matches between September 29 and November 22.

Liverpool responded with a ten-game unbeaten run in the league, but with just four wins in that stretch, talk of a genuine turnaround was premature.

With Arsenal setting a blistering pace, Liverpool drifted out of the title race well before the halfway point, forcing a shift in focus towards Champions League qualification.

On that front, Liverpool have stumbled in recent weeks. Chelsea and Manchester United have taken maximum points from their last four games, while the Reds have collected just four points over that span.

Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Manchester City left Liverpool five points behind United and four adrift of Chelsea, who occupy fourth and fifth place respectively.

Both their Champions League rivals are rejuvenated under new management.

Liverpool conclude the season with matches against Man United, Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Brentford – four of the current top seven – giving them the chance to take points off direct rivals in the top-four race.

Factor in a Merseyside derby at Everton on Matchday 33, and Liverpool arguably have the Premier League’s toughest run-in.

A top-four finish was the bare minimum for Liverpool at the start of the season, but they now risk missing out on Champions League football unless they can produce a dramatic turnaround.