At the beginning of this season, many Liverpool fans would have been hopeful that they were on their way to retaining their title. After an expensive summer transfer window, where Arne Slot was given close to half a billion pounds to spend, it looked as though The Reds had strengthened in more than enough positions to mount a successful defense against Arsenal and Manchester City.
However, despite Liverpool recouping some of their form in 2026, the title charge was over within a few months of the season, really. They find themselves miles behind the chasing pack as we go into the business end of this season’s EPL. So, with all the mess taken into account, can Slot still get Liverpool into the Champions League next season?
The Weight Of A Global Fanbase
Like many of the league's top teams, most Liverpool fans live outside the city. The expectations that come with a global market weigh more on Arne Slot than on other managers in the league. In many ways, he has left himself open to criticism and bought himself enough time to get it right because of how he performed in his first year at Anfield.
His first season couldn’t have gone much better, and you’d think that if he is able to get Liverpool into the Champions League next season, then he will be given some time to steady the ship and mount another title challenge next season.
We’ve seen how global markets have impacted many industries and shaped how they work. Betting is a sector that has always buzzed in the background of sports, but, more broadly, casino gaming has also been able to ride the same wave. Bitcoin casinos and blockchain integration have helped fuel changing attitudes towards global betting, with IgnitionCasino Australia offering the same blockchain betting options as crypto casinos elsewhere.
When a market is driven by global appeal, this sheds more light on how it operates. The arrival of Alexander Isak for £125m was an eye-watering sum of money, especially when the better alternative would’ve been Marc Guehi.
In the subsequent transfer window, Manchester City swooped in to get their hands on the England international, despite being in a position where they have 115 charges hanging over them, and they gear up for the post-Guardiola era. Honestly, though, Slot and his men have completely underperformed this year, and it simply hasn’t been good enough.
Finishing In The Top 6
If Villa win the Europa League and finish in the top 3, this will add places to Champions League qualification, meaning that six English teams could qualify. However, for Liverpool, automatic qualification should be a must.
Unless Arsenal, City, or Aston Villa hit a rough patch of form, then they will comprise the top 3. Fourth place, however, is a toss-up between Chelsea, Man Utd, and Liverpool. A few weeks ago, when Carrick first stepped into the role, the idea that Utd would pip either Chelsea or Liverpool would’ve been laughed off. However, after some excellent wins, they are now the favourites to finish 4th.
There’s not much in it, though. There’s little to split these three when it comes to finishing in the top four, and with a dozen games to play for, and Liverpool set to play both Chelsea and Man United in their last four games, it could go all the way down to the final day. As is often the case with teams looking to challenge for the prominent places in the league, it’s going to be a case of mettle, willpower, and luck, ensuring their best players don’t get injured.
For Chelsea, it’s Cole Palmer, for City, it’s Haaland, and for Liverpool, it’s their defensive talisman, Virgil Van Dijk. Mo Salah already looks like he has one foot out the door, and it’ll be vital that Liverpool avoid any further problems upfront, with Isak out with a broken leg. If they lose Ekitike, then they may as well kiss the top 6 goodbye.
The Verdict
Ex-Red Jamie Carragher revealed on The Overlap that he doesn’t believe Liverpool will qualify for the Champions League. However, looking at the fixture list, the form, and the current fabric of the league, there’s just as much reason to be optimistic as there is to be negative. We get it, it has not been an ideal season by any stretch of the imagination, it has been very deflating.
Yes, of course, if we had been told at the start of the season that Liverpool would be battling for the top 6 in the middle of February, it would be widely condemned as a nightmare season.
What’s done is done, we can’t change this season, it’s about moving forward and salvaging what is left of it, and if Liverpool can avoid serious injuries and suspensions, and win the big crunch games against Man Utd and Chelsea, then there’s absolutely no reason to believe that they will not qualify for Europe’s top competition alongside the elite next season.
