Is Arne Slot going to still be Liverpool head coach by the time the Reds face Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds during their U.S. pre-season tour? Well, it would appear so. The Dutchman obviously has a lot of credit in the bank after winning the Premier League title during his first season in charge, but this campaign was so catastrophic that many supporters the Dutchman should be replaced.
Well, the statistics do not make good reading for Slot. Comparing last season to this, no club endured a bigger drop off in points than the reigning champions.
Premier League points increase/decared per club 24/25 vs 25/26
Clubs | Points increase/decrease in 2025/26 |
|---|---|
Manchester United | +29 |
Arsenal | +11 |
Manchester City | +7 |
Tottenham Hotspur | +3 |
Bournemouth | +1 |
Everton | +1 |
Aston Villa | -1 |
Fulham | -2 |
Brentford | -3 |
West Ham United | -4 |
Brighton & Hove Albion | -8 |
Crystal Palace | -8 |
Chelsea | -17 |
Newcastle United | -17 |
Nottingham Forest | -21 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers | -22 |
Liverpool | -24 |
Note: Statistics courtesy of Colin Millar.
Despite the fact that Wolves only picked up 20 points all season, Liverpool's drop from 84 points down to 60 was the biggest of any Premier League club. Only six actually improved their tallies, thanks in part to the competitiveness of newly-promoted Sunderland and Leeds, with only Arsenal and Manchester United doing so substantially.
So, where do Liverpool rank among worst-performing defending champions?
Premier League defending champions: Fewst points the following season
Club | Season | Points | League finish |
|---|---|---|---|
Leicester City | 2016/17 | 44 | 12th |
Chelsea | 2015/16 | 50 | 10th |
Liverpool | 2025/26 | 60 | 5th |
Blackburn Rovers | 1995/96 | 61 | 7th |
Manchester United | 2013/14 | 64 | 7th |
Only five clubs in Premier League history have accumulated 65 points or fewer as defending champions. Blackburn in the '90s and Manchester United under David Moyes both finished seventh, while Chelsea in 2016 and Leicester the following year changed manager mid-season and ended up mid-table. Thus, Liverpool are very lucky to have qualified for the Champions League on just 60 points, benefiting from the extra spot England earnt via the Coefficient rankings, as well as the low bar to get into this year's top five.
So, should this lead to Slot losing his job? Well, let's assess how a decline in 24 points compares to previous Liverpool campaigns?
Liverpool's biggest declines in points from one season to the next
Season | Decline in points | Position change |
|---|---|---|
2020/21 | 30 | 1st - 3rd |
1923/24 | 30* | 1st - 12th |
1906/07 | 28* | 1st - 15th |
2022/23 | 25 | 2nd - 5th |
2025/26 | 24 | 1st - 5th |
1947/48 | 24* | 1st - 11th |
2009/10 | 23 | 2nd - 7th |
2014/15 | 22 | 2nd - 6th |
1964/65 | 22* | 1st - 7th |
1962/63 | 20 | 1st - 8th |
2002/03 | 16 | 2nd - 5th |
- Note: *indicated both seasons have been adjusted for three points for a win.
When three-points-for-a-win inflation is taken into account, only four times in Liverpool history have they endured a bigger decline in points from one campaign to the next. This does not include 1894 when they were promoted from Division 2 and then immediately relegated again.
Two of these drastic declines came over 100 years ago, while the other pair were this decade. Jürgen Klopp's team suffered major declines in both 2021 and 2023, accumulating 99 and 92 points before dropping to 69 and the 67 in the following campaign. However, Klopp had enough love and goodwill to keep supporters onside, while the same cannot be said of Slot, hence why many supporters want him to be gone, but seemingly they're not going to get their wish.
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