Following the departure of Jurgen Klopp, the Anfield faithful thought they had landed on their feet when Arne Slot stepped into the role and led the club to the Premier League title. However, despite starting the season well, a huge dip in form and fallouts with star players have put the club under pressure, from top to bottom.
The top UK sportsbooks and no verification betting sites Esports News has reviewed have priced Liverpool at 17/20 to finish in the top 4, giving fans a glimmer of hope for the season and the promise of Champions League qualification next year.
However, should the club fail to qualify for the Champions League next year, the estimated £100 million in revenue would be offset by player wage reductions of 25%.
Liverpool’s Form This Season
After winning the opening 5 games of the season, everything looked rosy and the decisions to offer Mo Salah and VVD new contracts were well justified, but defeat to Crystal Palace on September 27th was followed by losses to Galatasaray, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Brentford, with only a win against Eintracht Frankfurt breaking up the poor run.
Following a defeat to Brentford in the league on October 25th, a weakened team was fielded against Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup, with Liverpool going on to lose 0-3.
Wins against Aston Villa and Real Madrid followed at the start of November, before consecutive 3-0 defeats to Manchester City and Nottingham Forest, and a 4-1 home defeat to PSV followed in the Champions League.
A win against a struggling West Ham was followed by two draws against Premier League new boys Sunderland and Leeds, before winning away in Milan against Inter.
Champions League Qualification
England will have 5 Champions League spots next season, and this could rise depending on European performances this year. The winner of the Champions League and Europa League will earn a Champions League spot, so if any of the top five in England win these competitions, lower-placed teams will qualify.
Despite Liverpool’s sticky form this season, their win against Inter in Milan saw them rise to 9th place, and some of the top sports books have priced them at 10/1 to win the competition. This could be one of the best potential avenues for Liverpool to gain qualification; however, a run of form would see them make significant progress in the League.
Liverpool Outlook for the Rest of the Season
Following Salah’s fallout with Slot, it is likely the Egyptian will move on during the Winter break while on international duty at the AFCON tournament. Salah will be a massive loss after performing so well during his time at Liverpool, but this could give players like Wirtz and Isak the opportunity to step up and show their value.
The opportunity to invest in new players when the transfer window opens could also spark a bit of life back into a squad that was good enough to win the league last year. The addition of two record signings should not have weakened the team, and when they find form, they have the potential to challenge.
Manchester City have been shaky for the last two seasons, and while they are always extremely dangerous, they will drop points before now and by the end of the season. The other main challengers are Arsenal, who definitely look strong this season, but they have struggled to kill teams off and could suffer if players like Gyökeres and Saka are not able to pick up their form.
