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Liverpool vs Sunderland Preview: A Manager on Probation, A Season on the Line

Date: Wednesday, 3rd December 2025

Venue: Anfield

Kick-off: 20:15 BST

Liverpool returns to Anfield on Wednesday night knowing one thing with absolute clarity: Arne Slot is on probation. There is no disguising it, no softening it, no spin that can conceal the truth. The reigning Premier League champions have spent the last two months in freefall, and despite a much-needed win away to West Ham, the Dutchman enters this fixture needing not just a result — but a run.

And not just any run.

Slot must now win almost everything between now and New Year’s Day to retain more than the job — he must retain the trust of a fanbase that has seen belief turn into doubt and doubt turn into frustration in the space of a few chaotic weeks.

This is survival mode.

The Caveats Are Real — But So Are the Consequences

It would be unfair to pretend that the context of Liverpool’s season is anything close to normal. The devastating passing of Diogo Jota in the summer remains a shadow that we do not talk about enough — whether through discomfort, ignorance, or emotional fatigue. That loss would shake any squad, let alone one already undergoing a complete tactical and structural transition.

Then there is the influx of new signings. Liverpool did not simply add depth; they rebuilt entire sections of the squad. The problem is that many incoming players were signed to be instant starters despite replacing men who, last season, were only rotational assets. Integrating this volume of change into a high-functioning system requires time — and Slot has not been afforded the luxury of easing anyone in.

But perhaps most damaging of all is the creeping sense of self-satisfaction within the squad. With success comes bravado. With bravado, at times, comes complacency. Too many players have assumed that last season’s dominance would organically carry over. Instead, Liverpool have found themselves bullied, outfought, and out-thought by teams with half the talent but twice the hunger.

This is why January looms so large. This is why Elliott Anderson feels inevitable. This is why the midfield needs steel, not softness.

And this is why one win over an uninspired West Ham side does not cleanse the sins of the past two months.

Slot’s Trial Continues — The Jury Is Still Out

Just a week ago, it was difficult to see any scenario in which Slot survived until Christmas. The performances were collapsing, the structure was nonexistent, and the players looked uninterested in whatever instructions were being given. The humiliation against Nottingham Forest and the utter capitulation versus PSV felt like a manager losing the dressing room in real time.

The victory at the London Stadium was a step forward — nothing more, nothing less.

Sunderland, therefore, becomes another test in a long series that Slot simply cannot fail. He was hired to evolve Liverpool beyond the emotional brilliance of Jurgen Klopp — to merge the chaos of heavy-metal football with the control of a more modern approach. Last season, the balance was perfect. This season, the pendulum has swung too far towards sterile control and away from the raw fundamentals that made Liverpool unplayable.

Winning tomorrow won’t fix everything. But losing would open a door that may never close again.

Slot remains on trial. And for now, the verdict remains a very deep shade of grey.

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