Premier League analysis: Have Arne Slot’s Liverpool been bad champions?
Liverpool’s transition from Jurgen Klopp to Arne Slot was always going to be one of the Premier League’s most scrutinised managerial handovers.
Klopp left behind a title‑winning culture built on intensity, emotional connection, and tactical clarity.
Slot inherited that legacy and all the pressure that comes with defending a championship.
But as results, performances, and data have accumulated, a sharper question has emerged: have Liverpool under Arne Slot been bad champions?
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Joshua Topping gives his thoughts.
New era, new identity
The phrase ‘bad champions’ is widely feared in the Premier League as it speaks to the crumbling memories of a title-winning side that failed to defend its crown with authority, hunger, and the consistency expected of champions.
After shedding a few tears and saying goodbye to one of Liverpool’s most successful managers in Klopp, the Reds appointed their ex-Feyenoord manager Slot.
Upon his arrival, the question was never if he would be able to maintain the club’s competitive level – it was whether he could steer the ship to uphold the standards of a team that had, under Klopp, redefined intensity, culture, and identity.
So, the question is: have Arne Slot’s Liverpool been bad champions?
The answer is more complex than what the league table is showing.
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A summer spending spree
Slot looked to revolutionise his new team by spending a whopping £450 million pounds on signings in the summer.
After the Reds won a 20th league title last season, he brought in the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz to help Liverpool cement their position as one of England’s most dominant forces.
Unfortunately, given the chaotic start to their title defence during the first 12 games, Slot’s side immediately looked on course to be one of the worst-ever defending champions.
Only Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, as champions in 2014-15, made a worse start to a defence, with seven defeats in their first 12 games.
That dismal run led to Mourinho being fired in December 2015, just seven months after guiding the Blues to the title for the third time.
Blackburn Rovers (champions in 1994-95) and Leicester City (2015-16) are the only other teams to record as many as six defeats in their first 12 games as defending champions.
Blackburn steadied the ship to finish seventh in 1995-96, but Leicester – having fired title-winning coach Claudio Ranieri in February 2017 – ended the season in 12th position to record the lowest-ever finish for a Premier League champion, two places lower than Chelsea had finished a year earlier.
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The league has evolved
Liverpool’s challenges must also be viewed within the broader Premier League landscape.
Arsenal have matured into consistent contenders, Manchester City remain a metronomic force, and several mid‑table clubs have strengthened significantly.
Even a slight dip from the title‑winning level can look dramatic in such an environment.
Through 26 league games, Liverpool have recorded 12 wins, six draws, and eight losses, scoring 41 and conceding 35 for a win rate of just 46.2%.
Defensive fragility, particularly in transition, has become a recurring theme.
Where Klopp’s Liverpool once suffocated opponents immediately after losing the ball, Slot’s more positional structure left spaces that opponents increasingly exploited.
Are they bad champions?
The evidence suggests Liverpool under Slot have not been bad champions – but they have been transitional ones.
They have not imploded. They have not abandoned competitive principles. Their statistical output remains strong in many areas.
Yet, they have lacked the consistency, defensive solidity, and psychological inevitability that define great title defences.
Slot deserves credit for attempting evolution rather than imitation.
After all, Klopp’s Liverpool could not be replicated – they had to be reimagined.
That process takes time, and the numbers reflect both the promise and the turbulence of that journey.
Liverpool may not have defended their title with the authority of serial winners but calling them ‘bad champions’ ignores the complexity of transition.
They are champions in flux – reshaping their identity, recalibrating their structure, and still possessing the tools to return to the summit once the new model fully settles.
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Serious trophy push awaits
Overall, Liverpool can still mount a serious push for a Champions League place this season.
There are enough fixtures remaining for Slot’s side to close the gap on the top four if they rediscover consistency and convert their strong underlying performances into results.
While their league form has stuttered, the quality within the squad combined with the return of key players from injury and the emergence of younger contributors gives them a platform to build momentum at a crucial stage of the campaign.
At the same time, their involvement in the FA Cup and Champions League provides additional avenues for success.
With knockout football often rewarding teams capable of producing high‑intensity, one‑off performances, not to mention Liverpool’s experience in navigating deep runs in Europe, they remain well‑placed to progress further in both competitions.
But only if they can tighten defensively and rediscover the ruthlessness that defined their best spells earlier in the season.
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