Arne Slot and Liverpool are on the ropes. They were well beaten by Paris St-Germain in a 2-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg loss and now face the most difficult run-in among the Premier League sides chasing a top-five finish.
Jamie Carragher said Slot got his tactics “massively wrong” in Paris — and the Liverpool boss will need better solutions when his side host Fulham, live on Sky Sports, on Saturday night. Kick-off is 5:30pm on Saturday 11th April.
Just two wins in the past eight games have ramped up the pressure on the Reds. An FA Cup thrashing by Manchester City has ended their prospects of domestic silverware and qualification for next season’s Champions League is far from assured.
They currently sit fifth — which would be enough for a place in Europe’s elite competition. But Chelsea are only one point behind, while Brentford and Everton are just a win away from going level with Liverpool. Worryingly for Liverpool, they have the toughest remaining fixtures according to league position. In reverse fixtures, both Chelsea and Brentford took the required points off their remaining opponents to overtake Liverpool’s narrow advantage.
Opta’s season predictor gives Liverpool just a 54.9 per cent chance of finishing in the top five. Speaking on Monday Night Football in February, Carragher said: “If you don’t qualify for the Champions League, having won the league the season before and spent as much as Liverpool, I don’t think you’ve got a leg to stand on.”
Slot will point out that Liverpool can still produce big performances and wins at Anfield, and back-to-back successes against Fulham and PSG would significantly change the narrative in a week. They could also benefit this weekend from Chelsea hosting in-form Man City, and Brentford welcoming Everton at the Gtech.
But there are alarming stats for Slot to ponder as Liverpool seek a response to salvage their season:
– League form in focus: Liverpool have won just four of their last 13 Premier League games.
– Shooting trouble: Liverpool rank second in the Premier League for shots but 16th for shot conversion.
– Late setbacks: Liverpool have dropped a league-high nine points from goals conceded in the 90th minute or later this season — including Fulham’s equaliser at Craven Cottage.
– Fulham frustration: Liverpool have failed to win any of the three Premier League matches against Fulham under Slot. They are the only side he hasn’t beaten.
– A lot of losses: Liverpool have now lost 16 matches in all competitions — their most in a season since 2014/15. Since September 27, Liverpool have lost more Premier League games than they’ve won; eleven clubs have taken more points in that time.
What the fans say…
We asked for comments in our Liverpool club blog after Wednesday’s defeat to PSG. Here’s a selection of views we received:
– Anfield Iron: Time for a change. It’s not working and the excuses are even worse than the performances. Enough’s enough. Get some passion back in this team; it’s awful watching them at present.
– Mattymc5203: That was an absolute shambles last night from Slot. Sadly, he’s looking out of his depth. Do we replace him now or at the end of the season?
– Danny: As much as I appreciate Slot for the league title, you have to remember that the team had the backbone of Klopp’s tactics. Since February 2025, Slot has been introducing his game and unfortunately his version is just not good enough and his man management isn’t either. Time to go.
– Ryfi: Liverpool are multiple winners in every competition. Just last season they were regarded the best or top two teams in world football. Signed Wirtz and Isak, who are two of the best players in the world in their position. They shouldn’t be outclassed by anyone.
– JMY97: How long does a league title buy you? We’re grateful for last season but at some point, you’ve got to think logically. Slot’s tactically out of his depth. Steven Gerrard to the end of the season and Xabi Alonso in.