It's official, Liverpool are back at the top of the English game and Sunday's celebrations at Anfield reflected the significance of the moment.
Before we really dive headfirst into the summer transfer window, a window that the Reds expect to be very active in, it's worth the time to look back and take stock of what we experienced this season and see who benefitted from the arrival of Arne Slot and who took a step back.
With that in mind, we are going to look at both sides of the spectrum here. Let's see who were the winners and losers from Slot's first season at Liverpool.
Winners
Ryan Gravenberch
The newly minted Young Player of the Year in England sounds like a good launching point for this. He had a very up-and-down first season at Anfield during the 2023/24 campaign under Jurgen Klopp.
It came to the point that he was struggling for consistent minutes down the stretch of the season despite playing pretty effectively in his limited action.
The arrival of Arne Slot to Liverpool saw the Dutch midfielder shifted from his expected No. 8 role to a No. 6, as the enforcer and base of the midfield setup. What followed was about as unexpected as anything.
Gravenberch quickly took to his new role and responsibilities and became an integral part of the Starting XI.
His reading of the game allowed him to break up play smoothly before he used his tidy skill on the ball to swiftly turn defense to offense. He was a clear beneficiary in Slot's debut season and the sky is the limit for hm.
Alexis Mac Allister
Like Gravenberch, Liverpool's No. 10 was looking for some clarity in his role within the squad, and once he got it from Slot, he truly took off.
He played alongside the Dutchman in midfield but was allowed to move forward in a more box-to-box role that balanced his tremendous attacking qualities with his tenacious tackling.
His week-to-week consistency is something we could rely on no matter the opponent and he only elevated from a good first season to being world class this term.
He brings so much professionalism and composure to any situation that when he is not on the pitch his presence is certainly missed. He continues to be an absolute steal of a signing at his modest cost form Brighton with the his importance only growing by the day. What a player.
Cody Gakpo
I could have gone Mohamed Salah here as he has recaptured his top form and was the best player in the league without a doubt. Slot definitely played a part in that, however, on a deeper dive scale, he helped Gakpo even more.
Cody has been a more than solid player since he arrived from PSV, however his game seemed slightly capped. Especailly so when he was asked to play through the middle more than on his preferred left wing.
Arne Slot gave him the freedom and trust to play wide and cut in with confidence and wreak havoc on defenses, and Gakpo obliged.
18 goals and 7 assists across all competitions from 49 appearances is a solid return, but leaves room for even more growth.
A second preseason under Slot and we could be looking at a potential 25-goal haul in 2025/26 for the Dutch attacker.
Losers
Harvey Elliott
This one was difficult to watch as the season progressed. Elliott, arguably the most talented youngster the Reds have to offer, finished last season strong and backed it up with a sterling preseason under the new boss.
It all looked primed for his true breakout campaign at Liverpool to be this season. Then, it just never happened. Some niggling injuries here and there, but ultimately, he fell out of Slot's favored rotation and went forgotten for long stretches.
He plays with so much confidence and love for the badge that he absolutely would have made more of an impact on several matches if given the chance to do so.
He went from 53 matches played last season to only 28 this term, a sudden and unexpected drop-off.
Now, it looks like he might be going out the door this summer in search of regular first team minutes, which would be a shame as he can for sure be a long-term asset for Liverpool.
Jarell Quansah
Another promising youngster that stagnated this season as his confidence was ripped away on opening day when he was benched at halftime against Ipswich Town and he seemingly never recovered.
He showed a maturity well beyond his years on several occasions during the 2023/24 season but this time around, he just could never find it.
Some rough displays, including unlucky own goals, meant his confidence continued to tank. He was not the same player we saw as he could not find his footing in the Slot system.
He can still turn it around, but this season was not the step forward we were all hoping from the big defender. At best, he plateaued for the time being.
Federico Chiesa
We all knew this was coming. Misused, misunderstood or whatever else you'd call it, the Italian winger was never given a proper chance to grow into the side.
Early injuries gave way to just simply not playing matches. His few opportunites, he showed glimpses of what he can do. See FA Cup versus Accrington Stanley and League Cup Final against Newcastle.
Unfortunately, it appears Slot just does not favor him and how he plays the game. A summer exit would not be a shock at this point and that stinks because I firmly believe he has the tools to stick around here for awhile.