Twelve months ago the Reds lifted the Premier League trophy – their 20th top-flight crown, Arne Slot’s debut miracle. The summer that followed was supposed to cement a dynasty. Instead, the 2025/26 campaign has delivered something closer to controlled demolition.
Fifth place with six games left. Out of the FA Cup. Out of the Champions League. A season that started with five straight wins somehow produced a winless run not seen at Anfield in 70 years.
For fans following through platforms like ggbet, this has been a bruising watch. Not catastrophic. But deeply, stubbornly disappointing – the kind of season that splits opinion on forums and leaves mixed comments across social media when supporters rate their matchday experience.
To understand what happened, you have to start with what changed.
The Summer of £450 Million
Liverpool spent big. Record-breaking big. Florian Wirtz arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £100 million. Hugo Ekitike followed from Eintracht Frankfurt at £79 million, and then – in the saga that consumed the entire window – Alexander Isak Liverpool became reality on deadline day. The Swede cost £125 million, smashing the British transfer record. Add Jérémy Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Milos Kerkez, and January arrival Jérémy Jacquet, and the total spend sailed past £450 million.
The departures were equally seismic. Trent Alexander-Arnold left for Real Madrid. Luis DÃaz was sold to Bayern Munich. And then, on 3 July 2025, Diogo Jota died in a car accident. The club retired his No. 20 shirt. That loss sat heavier than any tactical problem.
Arne Slot Liverpool: Second-Season Reality
Slot’s first year was a fairytale. His second has been a cold morning after. The Dutchman has spoken openly about the difficulty of rebuilding mid-cycle. Speaking to the written media in April, Slot told The Times: “It is normal in football that you have cycles. This was always expected. The title, in many ways, postponed the end of an era.”
Slot’s system has struggled to absorb so many new faces at once. The front three of Wirtz, Ekitike, and Isak shared just 117 minutes together across the entire season. Injuries, form dips, and a broken leg for the Swede against Tottenham meant the combination Slot envisaged never truly materialised. The Liverpool injury list has been relentless – at various points this campaign, Alisson, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Frimpong, Wataru Endo, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, and others have all missed significant time.
Liverpool fans have given up on the title race. Arne Slot hasn’t cut it this year. What interests them far more is whether he’ll stay on for a third season. Fans are reading reviews on Trustpilot to find out where to bet on someone more high-profile taking over from Arne.
Isak Liverpool: The Gamble That Hasn’t Paid Off (Yet)
The numbers are sobering. Isak has managed just 859 minutes in all competitions – a quarter of the game time he had at Newcastle last year. Three goals. Two in the league. Eleven starts from 50 matches. A broken leg in the act of scoring against Spurs wiped out his mid-season momentum. ESPN Africa reported that Slot has conceded supporters might have to wait until next season to see the best version of his record signing. Honestly, for £125 million, that is a hard sell. The talent is obvious. The fit, so far, is not.
Ekitike: The One Who Delivered
If the Isak saga dominated headlines, Ekitike quietly got on with the job. The Frenchman settled fastest of all the summer arrivals. Eleven Premier League goals before his Achilles gave way against PSG in the Champions League quarter-final on 15 April. When you look at the Hugo Ekitike stats across all competitions – 15 goals, four assists – the return is significant for a 23-year-old in his first English season. Sky Sports confirmed the suspected Achilles injury could keep him out for six to nine months, meaning a potential return no earlier than late 2026. France coach Didier Deschamps ruled him out of the World Cup. The timing is brutal.
Rio Ngumoha: The Story of the Season
Every painful campaign produces at least one breakthrough. This one belongs to the 17-year-old winger. Rio Ngumoha became the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer on 25 August 2025, netting a 100th-minute winner at St James’ Park at 16 years and 361 days old. He later became the youngest player to score at Anfield in a league match, curling home against Fulham in April. The Rio Ngumoha stats – five Premier League goals, two assists, 18 appearances – understate his impact. He has been electric, direct, and fearless. After his debut goal, Ngumoha said: “I probably do that finish 100 times on the training ground.“
For a squad in transition, Ngumoha represents genuine hope.
What the Table Says
| Pos | Team | MP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Man City | 33 | 21 | 7 | 5 | +37 | 70 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 33 | 21 | 7 | 4 | +37 | 70 |
| 5 | LFC | 33 | 16 | 7 | 10 | +11 | 55 |
| 8 | Chelsea | 34 | 13 | 9 | 12 | +8 | 48 |
With five Champions League spots on offer this season, Liverpool currently occupy the last of them in fifth place. But with fixtures against direct rivals Chelsea and Aston Villa still to come, that position is far from secure – and every point between now and the end of the season will matter.
Key Takeaways
The 2025/26 season has exposed several truths that will shape the next window:
- Transition hurts. Replacing Alexander-Arnold, DÃaz, and Jota – one through tragedy – while integrating six first-team signings was always going to destabilise the squad.
- Fitness has been the story. At no point have all first-choice players been available together.
- Youth has emerged. Ngumoha, plus contributions from Max Dowman and other academy names, offer a silver lining.
- The front three never clicked. Wirtz, Ekitike, and Isak played together for 117 minutes total. That number alone explains the season.
Mohamed Salah confirmed he will leave this summer. Andy Robertson has done the same. The media report that Slot is planning a significant rebuild – with as many as four new arrivals targeted. The cycle, as the coach himself put it, continues.
Final Word
This has not been a season to celebrate. It has, possibly, been a season to learn from. The foundations – Ngumoha’s emergence, Ekitike’s quality, Slot’s relationship with the ownership – are still standing. The question is whether the 2026/27 version of this squad can do what the 2025/26 version could not: stay fit, stay together, and finish what it starts.
FAQ
Did Liverpool win any silverware in 2025/26?
No. Liverpool finished the season without a trophy; they lost the Community Shield to Crystal Palace on penalties and did not win any other competition.
How far did Liverpool get in the Champions League?
Quarter-finals. PSG beat Liverpool 2-0 in Paris and 2-0 at Anfield, winning 4-0 on aggregate.
When was the team’s worst slump in history?
Liverpool endured their worst run since 1953/54, including nine defeats in 12 matches in all competitions.
