A year ago, Liverpool fans were celebrating a Merseyside derby win that put them on the brink of the Premier League title. Moments later, a 5-1 demolition of Tottenham confirmed glory, and the city of Liverpool partied long into the night. Arne Slot, having taken over from Jurgen Klopp, was hailed as the man to continue the club’s success in his first season in charge.
Fast forward less than 12 months, and the mood around Anfield is unrecognisable. Saturday’s 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals marked yet another dismal day for Liverpool, their 15th loss in all competitions this season—the most in a single campaign since Brendan Rodgers’ 2014-15 side lost 18 times.
City’s fans made no attempt to hide their delight, chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning” as Erling Haaland and company scored four goals in just 20 minutes. While the club has shown no intention of removing Slot, the defeat has only intensified scrutiny ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris St-Germain on Wednesday.
Liverpool began brightly, matching Pep Guardiola’s men for the first 35 minutes, but the game turned with a Haaland penalty. The Norwegian striker’s second goal on the stroke of half-time effectively sealed the contest, and two further quick strikes after the break confirmed City’s dominance.
Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai admitted to TNT Sports: “The fighting spirit wasn’t there enough, the mentality wasn’t there enough.”
Slot himself acknowledged recurring issues throughout the campaign, particularly the team’s inability to absorb setbacks and bounce back. “It cannot always go positive and you have to stand up when things are not so positive,” he told TNT Sports, reflecting on the season’s challenges.
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler also weighed in, highlighting the need for leadership: “Arne Slot has to get the players to be better versions of what they are. You need leaders to drag people through tough times. That’s what you need but we are not seeing that from the manager.”
Once praised for resilience and mental strength under Klopp, Liverpool now appear fragile in the face of adversity. The mass exodus from the away end as City turned a 2-0 lead into 4-0 underscored the lack of belief that currently surrounds Slot’s side.
As Liverpool prepare for the Champions League showdown against PSG, the question on every fan’s mind remains: can this team rediscover the spirit that once made them unstoppable, or is the glory of last season already a distant memory?
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