Liverpool’s Title Defence Is Falling Apart – Or Is It?

Sixth. That’s where the defending Premier League champions sit after 27 games – 15 points behind leaders Arsenal and closer to the Europa League places than the title race. Liverpool’s 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, sealed by Alexis Mac Allister’s stoppage-time goal after a disallowed effort just minutes earlier, was the kind of ugly victory that might signal a turning point. Or it might just be another single-point grab in a season that’s gone sideways.

The numbers tell the story: Liverpool have won just two of their last six league matches in 2026. Their squad has been rebuilt almost entirely since the title-winning campaign, and the emotional weight of Diogo Jota’s death last July still hangs over everything the club does.

The Summer That Changed Everything

Liverpool lost more than players in the transfer window – they lost an identity. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Díaz (£65.5M to Bayern Munich), Caoimhín Kelleher (£18M to Brentford), Jarell Quansah (£34M to Leverkusen) and Tyler Morton (£10M to Lyon) all departed. Diogo Jota’s number 20 was retired across all levels after his death in a car accident on July 3.

In came Jérémy Frimpong from Leverkusen as the Alexander-Arnold replacement, Giorgi Mamardashvili (£29M) in goal, and – the biggest move – Alexander Isak from Newcastle for a club-record £125 million. Milos Kerkez arrived from Bournemouth for £40M at left-back. In January, Liverpool added Mor Talla Ndiaye, an 18-year-old Senegalese defender, and agreed a £55M summer deal for Rennes centre-back Jérémy Jacquet.

The spending is enormous. The results, so far, haven’t matched.

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📊 Key Stat: Liverpool’s net transfer spend this season is approximately -€263 million – the largest single-season outlay in the club’s history. (Source: Transfermarkt)

What’s Actually Gone Wrong?

Three things. First, integration time. Arne Slot himself said in December that replacing this many players takes time, and “history shows the longer players play together, the bigger chance you have of winning something.” Six new starters can’t build chemistry in six months.

Second, the Isak adjustment. The £125M striker has talent nobody questions, but he’s playing in a different system than Newcastle’s. His best form came in counter-attacking football; Liverpool ask him to press from the front and play with his back to goal. The fit isn’t wrong – it’s just not right yet.

Third, emotional weight. Jota’s death affected the squad in ways that don’t show up in xG charts. Several players have spoken privately about the difficulty of performing in a shirt that still carries his memory. The tributes before every home match are beautiful – and a reminder of what the club lost.

“If you replace, like we have done, then it takes time. And usually it gets better after a certain period of time.” – Arne Slot, December 2025

The Mac Allister Moment

Sunday’s winner at Forest might become a footnote or a turning point. Mac Allister had a goal ruled out in the 89th minute by VAR, then scored again in the 97th – and this time it survived the review. It was scrappy, chaotic, and exactly the kind of win that champions grind out.

Liverpool aren’t winning the league from sixth. But they’re still alive in the Champions League – safely through the league phase and into the round of 16 after the draw on February 27. The FA Cup run continues. And with the squad finally healthy and gelling, the second half of the season could look nothing like the first.

What Comes Next

Liverpool host Brentford on March 1, then face a Champions League round of 16 first leg in mid-March. The summer brought a £60M bid for Wolves’ wonderkid Mateus Mane, per FootballTransfers, suggesting the rebuild isn’t finished – the club is already planning for 2026-27.

For now, the question is whether Slot’s expensive squad can salvage a top-four finish and a deep European run. They sit five points off fourth-placed Manchester United. Twelve games remain. It’s not dead yet – but it’s close.