It’s certainly not uncommon for teams to slump in the wake of reaching the pinnacle, but few projected this Liverpool team to embark on what’s emerging as a shoddy Premier League title defence.
Murmurs of a Jürgen Klopp return would suggest that all is not well for Arne Slot at Anfield, having led the Reds to their 20th league title in 2024–25. They were the runaway champions last season, and a historic summer spend convinced many that another stroll to glory would ensue this term.
But, for a myriad of reasons, Liverpool are nowhere to be seen at the division’s summit. A 3–0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, now led by former Everton boss Sean Dyche, felt like the nadir, and supporters will be desperate for Saturday’s latest loss to be the lowest Slot’s side sink.
They now occupy 11th spot in the Premier League table and are already 11 points adrift of leaders Arsenal. Barring a miracle, there’s not going to be a title challenge from the red half of the Mersey, and Liverpool are currently tracking to be one of the least formidable champions in the competition’s history.
Here’s how their ordinary title defence compares with some of the worst we’ve seen.
The Worst Title Defences in Premier League History
Leicester City supporters would’ve bitten your hand off for a 12th-place finish in 2016–17, having produced a miracle to remain in the top flight two seasons prior. However, in 2015–16, the Foxes embarked on the most stunning of title triumphs, capitalising on a weak Premier League to defy 5,000/1 odds.
Few were surprised that Leicester were unable to come close to repeating their previous season’s heroics in 2016–17, with the loss of midfield superstar N’Golo Kanté among the major factors in their demise. The mastermind of their title success, Claudio Ranieri, was sacked in February and replaced by assistant Craig Shakespeare.
Leicester’s fairytale continued in Europe, reaching the Champions League quarterfinals, but they finished 12th in the Premier League with 44 points, 32 fewer than they claimed during their title-winning campaign.
Chelsea’s sharp decline off the back of their title success in 2014–15 played a part in Leicester rising to the summit. José Mourinho burned a bridge too many and lost his job amid a woeful start to the defence of their crown. The Blues were 16th and a point above the drop when they cut ties in December, just after losing 2–1 away at Leicester.
Guus Hiddink came in and steadied the ship, but they still suffered a 37-point drop and ended the season in tenth.
Chelsea had another poor title defence under Antonio Conte, but they’d been so dominant the season before that their 23-point drop still resulted in a fifth-place finish. The Blues also ended the year by winning the FA Cup. Conte’s falling out with Diego Costa, as well as the club’s inability to land key transfer targets, were recognised as the major reasons for their slump.
Perhaps the novelty of Conte’s back three also wore off, with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City dominating in 2017–18 with an idea of football seldom seen on these shores.
Many would argue that Manchester United’s 2013–14 season ranks as the worst Premier League title defence, with David Moyes inheriting an impossible job from Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scot didn’t last his debut season, as an ageing United side finished seventh.
Blackburn Rovers also finished seventh in 1995–96, primarily because Sir Kenny Dalglish resigned as manager after guiding them to the title. Ray Harford struggled to fill the king’s boots, but Alan Shearer remained prolific. He scored 31 times for the champions before signing for Newcastle United.
How Liverpool Compare to Worst Premier League Title Defences
Liverpool’s 18-point haul through 12 games is the fourth-lowest recorded by a defending Premier League champion. Only Chelsea 2015–16 (11), Leicester 2016–17 (12) and Blackburn 1994–95 (14) notched fewer.
At their current rate, the Reds will finish with 57 points, which would be a 27-point decrease and rank them as the third-worst defending Premier League champion ever.
Their chances of retaining the league title for the first time since 1984 are thus already in tatters, as was the case in 2020–21, when injuries compromised Klopp’s side from defending their crown against Manchester City. They mustered 30 points fewer than their dominant triumph in 2019–20, but still managed to finish third in the table.
On a more optimistic note, Manchester United went on to lift the title despite claiming just 19 points from their opening 12 games in 1996–97. However, the Red Devils needed just 75 points to prevail, with Newcastle United seven points worse off in second. It’ll take a few more than 75 for Liverpool to retain their title this season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Liverpool Compare to Worst Title Defences In Premier League History.
