OGUN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted that the current campaign is the toughest of his managerial career, conceding that his side are falling short of the club’s standards following their latest setback.
The Reds’ defeat by Manchester City on Sunday left the reigning Premier League champions sixth on the table, four points behind fifth-placed Chelsea. Liverpool are level on points with seventh-placed Brentford and would have dropped below them on goal difference had Rayan Cherki’s late third goal for City not been disallowed.
Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp in June 2024, enjoyed a remarkable debut season by leading Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th top-flight title. However, the club has struggled this term despite spending close to £450 million on new signings during the summer transfer window, including a British record £125 million deal for striker Alexander Isak.
Liverpool have so far won 11 matches, drawn six and lost eight in the 2025–26 Premier League season.
Asked by BBC Sport on Tuesday whether this was the toughest season he has had, Slot said: “By a mile. All the other seasons I have managed, there was only positives.
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“I don’t think I have ever lost two games in a row until now. It’s an exception for me, I am not used to it.
“I don’t think we feel we’ve only lost two of our last 17. A draw feels like a loss.
“The players know what the standards of Liverpool mean and we aren’t performing to those standards. They feel that disappointment.”
With five Premier League clubs expected to qualify for next season’s Champions League, Slot stressed the importance of securing a top-five finish, warning that missing out on Europe’s elite competition would make the season unacceptable.
“If we don’t have Champions League football next season, it’s definitely not been an acceptable season,” he said, noting the significant impact qualification has on the club’s operations.
Liverpool travel to face Sunderland on Wednesday night, with the hosts unbeaten at home. Slot faces selection challenges at right-back, with Dominik Szoboszlai suspended and several defenders, including Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez, sidelined by injury. Isak and centre-back Giovanni Leoni are also long-term absentees.
Despite the difficulties, Slot insisted there is still hope for a strong finish.
“There’s still a possibility we can do something special this season,” he said.