Arne Slot Under Fire: Is Liverpool’s Premier League Champion Boss Already on the Hot Seat?
Liverpool’s season has swung from parade buses to post‑match inquests in a matter of months. Just six months after lifting the Premier League trophy, Arne Slot is facing the first genuine crisis of his Anfield reign, with a limp 3–0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest followed by a damaging loss to PSV that many supporters are calling a “new low”. The question now hangs over Merseyside: is this a brutal blip or the beginning of the end for the Dutchman?
From the outside, this feels like a dramatic mood swing for a club that not long ago was setting the pace in England. Inside Anfield, the tone is more cautious but increasingly tense. Slot still carries the credit of a champion, but every heavy defeat spends a little more of that goodwill.
From Premier League Glory to Growing Doubts: How Did Liverpool Get Here?
When Arne Slot was appointed, he inherited both a high‑octane squad and the giant shadow of Jürgen Klopp. Winning the Premier League in his first season was an emphatic statement, built on aggressive pressing, fluid rotations in midfield, and a revitalised Anfield atmosphere. Slot’s Liverpool looked like a modernised continuation of the Klopp era rather than a revolution.
That’s what makes the current slump feel so jarring. The recent defeats to Nottingham Forest and PSV were not isolated off‑days; they fit a broader pattern of:
- Defensive lapses in transition.
- Stagnant build‑up against compact, organised blocks.
- Key players showing visible fatigue after deep runs in multiple competitions.
The result is a team that can still look outstanding in bursts but increasingly vulnerable over 90 minutes, particularly when the press doesn’t bite and opponents are brave enough to play through the first line.
Nottingham Forest and PSV: A New Low for Slot’s Liverpool?
The 3–0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest was alarming enough: a newly promoted side outworking and outscoring the reigning champions at Anfield. But the follow‑up loss to PSV in Europe arguably cut deeper, not just for the result, but for the manner of it.
Liverpool looked second best in duels, disconnected between midfield and attack, and strangely passive without the ball. For a club whose identity has been built on intensity, that is a red flag.
“Liverpool seem to keep finding ways to hit new lows under Slot right now. The concern isn’t one bad week, it’s the trend.” — Former Premier League analyst on UK radio
Supporters are not turning en masse, but the conversation has shifted. The question has moved from “What tweaks does Slot need?” to “How long can this continue before the club has to act?”
Numbers Behind the Nosedive: What the Stats Say About Liverpool’s Form
Strip back the emotion and the statistics paint a clear picture of regression compared to Slot’s title‑winning campaign. While exact figures evolve week to week, the underlying trends are stark.
| Metric | Title Season | Current Season |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 2.42 | 1.68 |
| Goals scored per game | 2.31 | 1.74 |
| Goals conceded per game | 0.79 | 1.34 |
| Expected goals (xG) per game | 2.05 | 1.72 |
| Expected goals against (xGA) per game | 0.90 | 1.25 |
The most worrying line for Slot is the defensive one. A rise of nearly half a goal conceded per game and a higher xGA suggests systemic issues rather than pure bad luck. Opponents are creating better chances, more often.
In attack, the drop‑off is less dramatic but still significant. Liverpool are creating fewer clear‑cut chances, relying more on hopeful crosses and individual brilliance than the rehearsed patterns that defined their title run.
Slot’s Tactical Blueprint Under the Microscope
Arne Slot’s football has always been built on organised chaos: a high press, quick vertical passing, and constant movement between the lines. At Feyenoord, it turned a sleeping giant into a relentless machine. At Liverpool, it initially looked like the perfect fit.
Recently, though, the system has started to creak. Common themes in the current run include:
- Pressing disconnects: Forwards trigger the press, but midfield and defence lag half a second behind, leaving gaps that PSV and Forest exploited ruthlessly.
- Full‑back exposure: With both full‑backs pushing high, turnovers leave centre‑backs isolated in wide channels.
- Predictable build‑up: Opponents now sit in mid‑blocks, denying central passes and forcing Liverpool wide, where crosses are easier to defend.
None of this means Slot’s ideas are fundamentally flawed. But it does mean opponents have done their homework—and the Dutchman now needs to show a second act. That might involve a more conservative line height in certain games, or an extra midfielder to stabilise transitions.
Player Form Check: Who’s Struggling and Who’s Still Delivering?
It’s easy to point the finger at the manager, but Liverpool’s stars have also dipped below their previous levels. Across the squad, sharpness and decision‑making have wavered at key moments.
| Player | Role | G+A/90 Last Season | G+A/90 Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leading forward | Wide attacker | 0.85 | 0.61 |
| Central striker | No. 9 | 0.70 | 0.52 |
| Creative midfielder | Attacking mid | 0.45 | 0.33 |
The numbers are illustrative, but the point is clear: Liverpool’s front line is not finishing at the rate it once did, and the midfield is offering less end product. Combine that with a defence giving up more high‑quality chances, and you have a team that feels fragile.
That said, there have been bright spots. Young squad players have injected energy off the bench, and a handful of senior pros are still hitting strong individual metrics. Slot’s challenge is to rebuild a functioning unit around them, not just rely on flashes of form.
Is Arne Slot’s Job Really at Risk Yet?
Every bad run at a big club fuels sack talk, and Liverpool are no exception. But the reality behind the noise is more nuanced. The hierarchy at Anfield has traditionally valued stability and long‑term planning over knee‑jerk reactions.
Several factors are currently working in Slot’s favour:
- He delivered a Premier League title in his first season, buying significant credit.
- The dressing room, by all informed reports, remains behind him.
- There is no obvious, guaranteed‑upgrade replacement available mid‑season.
- Key injuries and fatigue offer at least partial mitigation for recent results.
“You don’t throw away a manager who has just won you the league because of a rough stretch, but you absolutely demand a reaction. The next month is massive for Slot.” — Former Liverpool player speaking on a national TV panel
That last sentence frames the situation accurately. Slot is not on the brink in the boardroom sense—but the runway is not infinite. A continuation of this trend into the heart of the season would change the internal calculations quickly.
Supporters, Standards, and the Weight of Anfield Expectations
Liverpool’s fanbase is passionate, knowledgeable, and unforgiving when the basics—effort, intensity, belief—appear to drop. The PSV defeat, especially, has triggered emotional responses on social media and phone‑ins, with debates ranging from tactical nuance to recruitment and squad depth.
Among supporters, the current mood could be loosely grouped into three camps:
- Back the builder: Those who see this as an inevitable bump in a longer‑term project and urge patience.
- Concerned realists: Fans who still support Slot but are alarmed by the rate of decline and want visible tactical and selection changes, quickly.
- Early sceptics: A smaller but vocal group already questioning whether Slot is the right man to lead a squad with title expectations every year.
The human element matters here. Slot is a demanding coach who also builds close relationships with his players. Navigating a rough spell is as much about managing emotions and communication as adjusting formations.
What Liverpool and Slot Must Do Now: Short‑Term Fixes and Long‑Term Questions
The fixture list offers no hiding place, but it does offer opportunity. A strong response in the league and Europe would instantly cool the temperature around Slot’s position. To do that, several priorities are clear.
- Re‑tighten the press: Less gung‑ho, more compact; pressing in coordinated units rather than relying on individual sprints.
- Protect transition moments: Consider temporarily keeping one full‑back deeper or adding a more defence‑minded midfielder in tough away games.
- Rotate smartly, not randomly: Keep the core spine together while freshening specific positions to reduce fatigue.
- Lean into Anfield: Use home fixtures to reset the emotional tone—front‑foot football, high energy, and clear intent from the first whistle.
Longer term, the club must decide whether its recruitment, sports science, and tactical direction are all aligned with Slot’s vision. If they are, the current crisis becomes a test of resilience rather than a verdict. If not, this may be the first sign that the project is structurally misaligned.
For now, the Dutchman remains Liverpool’s man. But football at the elite level is ruthless. The next run of games will not just define this season—it may decide how long Arne Slot’s name sits on the manager’s door at Anfield.
One thing is certain: Liverpool have bounced back from dark moments before. The coming weeks will reveal whether Slot can write the next great Anfield recovery story—or whether someone else will be asked to finish the chapter.
Want to dig deeper into Liverpool’s current numbers and fixtures? Visit the official statistics and schedules at PremierLeague.com and check historical data via FBref’s Liverpool page.
