11 hours ago
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Liverpool’s title defense has unraveled so dramatically that the conversation around Anfield has shifted from expectations of another deep run to whether the champions can stabilize at all.
Twelve games into the Premier League season after taking home the trophy last season, the early optimism of Arne Slot’s tenure has evaporated, replaced by pressure, confusion, and a growing sense of vulnerability.
Right now, Liverpool sits in the bottom half of the table after 12 matches, carrying a 6-6 record that reflects both inconsistency and a lack of identity, leaving fans in agreement over Slot's future with the club amid the recent struggles.
The defending champions have already lost six league games, slipped out of the top-four conversation, and endured a damaging 3–0 defeat to Nottingham Forest that deepened concerns about their defensive structure and attacking cohesion.
It’s a stark contrast from the opening weeks of the season, when a five-match winning streak suggested Slot had found a smooth transition from the Jurgen Klopp era. Instead, the slump that followed, six losses in seven league games, has dragged the club into one of the worst 12-game starts by a reigning Premier League champion.
Using that context, ChatGPT projected where Liverpool could realistically finish this season in the Premier League standings after a horrendous start.
Based on 18 points from 12 games, an average of 1.5 points per match, the model forecasts a rise from the current mid-table position to a finish around sixth place.
That projection assumes Liverpool’s attacking talent normalizes, the defensive numbers improve even slightly, and the club avoids the freefall experienced by some past title defenses.
Historically, champions who stumble early usually recover to somewhere between sixth and ninth by season’s end, and Liverpool’s underlying metrics suggest a similar path.
Liverpool now enters a crucial stretch of fixtures that will shape the rest of their season, and determine whether a sixth-place recovery is realistic or overly generous. Up next is a trip to West Ham, followed by home matches against Sunderland and Brighton, with a visit to Leeds in between.
These opponents sit in the lower half or near the relegation battle, offering a window for Liverpool to regain momentum. But recent form hasn’t allowed them to take anything for granted.
Securing nine or more points from this four-game run would validate the prediction of a mid-table climb. Anything less, and even Europa League territory could begin to slip away.
For now, Liverpool remain caught between their early-season promise and the harsh reality of their current run. What happens over the next month will reveal whether this is simply a rough patch or the beginning of a season that rewrites expectations entirely.
English (US) ·