English media predict that it will still be a hellish task for Liverpool and manager Arne Slot to secure a Champions League ticket for next season via the Premier League. If they fail to do so, it could have major consequences for the reigning champions of England.
Liverpool suffered another damaging blow at Anfield on Sunday evening, going down 1-2 to Manchester City after conceding twice late on.
The defeat leaves Liverpool down in sixth place in the Premier League and deepens the sense that this is becoming a season of steady erosion rather than a temporary dip. Liverpool Echo framed the result as another sign that the aura around Anfield is fading, pointing out that one of the clearest indicators is that even Pep Guardiola can now come here and win. For years, Liverpool home ground had a reputation as one of the most intimidating venues in Europe, a place where visiting sides often looked beaten before kickoff. Guardiola, despite his success with City, had rarely left Anfield with three points across a decade, with the exception of the unusual Covid season. This time, though, Liverpool could not protect either their lead or their status, and that is the part that will sting most.
The match itself followed a familiar pattern that has started to define Liverpool under Arne Slot in the toughest moments. For long stretches, Liverpool looked capable, energetic and well organised, even taking the lead and at times making City appear uncertain. There were phases where the home side pressed aggressively, forced turnovers and played with the kind of intensity that traditionally sets the tone at Anfield. But the decisive moments came late, when City found a way through and Liverpool once again failed to manage the game when it mattered most. It was not simply a case of being outplayed from start to finish, it was the way the contest slipped away that reinforced the growing criticism. Liverpool have increasingly struggled to close matches properly, to slow the tempo at the right time, to kill off dangerous transitions and to keep concentration levels high in the final minutes. In a league where margins are brutal and the top sides punish every lapse, those details are the difference between a strong season and a disappointing one.
Liverpool Echo noted that this was already Liverpool eighth Premier League defeat of the campaign, an alarming figure for a club that usually expects to be in the title conversation or at least safely inside the Champions League positions. Instead, Liverpool are now in a fight just to qualify, and the pressure on Slot is rising with every week that passes. The fear is not only sporting, it is also strategic. Champions League football is not just a prestige objective, it is a financial engine. Missing out would hit revenue streams tied to prize money, matchday income and commercial bonuses. It also shapes squad planning, because top level players want Champions League nights, and the budget flexibility that comes with that competition can influence how ambitious Liverpool can be in the transfer market. Liverpool Echo went as far as warning that failure to qualify could set the Liverpool project back for years financially, a statement that captures the scale of the anxiety around what is happening.
That anxiety was echoed by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports, who sounded far from confident that Liverpool can even climb into the top five. His assessment was blunt. In his view, the league picture is becoming a very difficult story for Liverpool when it comes to securing a Champions League ticket. The gap to the leaders also paints a bleak image: Arsenal are top and, as cited, have opened up a seventeen point advantage over Liverpool. That number alone underlines how far Liverpool have fallen away from the pace at the top. Carragher went further, saying that if asked right now whether Liverpool will finish in the top five, he would say no. The reason is not simply Liverpool form, but the context around them. In his eyes, Liverpool would need a dramatic turnaround, because the clubs above them are hitting peak form, specifically Chelsea and Manchester United. In a season where several rivals are consistent, any prolonged wobble can quickly become fatal for Champions League ambitions.
At the same time, not all commentary was entirely negative. The Daily Mail took a more measured view of Liverpool performance against City, arguing that while Slot lost again to Guardiola, it was not remotely as one sided as the 3-0 defeat in Manchester earlier in the season. In their telling, Liverpool caused City real problems for long spells, particularly during a half hour period after halftime when Slot team pushed City back and looked the more likely side to score. For moments, City even appeared as if they might be forced to compromise on their own title ambitions, such was the discomfort Liverpool were able to create. That is why the final outcome feels so frustrating from a Liverpool perspective: the performance suggested there is still quality and fight in the squad, yet the result once again delivered nothing.
The Daily Mail also hinted at the emotional cycle that seems to be developing around Slot first season. The pattern, as they described it, is that Slot manages to buy himself a little time with the supporters through a big win or an encouraging display, only for the mood to swing back sharply when the next game brings another setback. That kind of volatility is exhausting for a club, because it becomes harder to build momentum, harder to keep confidence high, and harder to maintain a stable narrative around what the team is trying to do. A heavy season is not just heavy because of the fixtures, it is heavy because every match begins to feel like a referendum on the manager, the players and the direction of the project.
Beyond this specific defeat, the broader concern is what it says about Liverpool identity. For years, Liverpool were known for intensity, late goals, relentless pressure and a belief that games at Anfield would tilt their way. Now, the talking point is the opposite: late collapses, missed chances to close games, and a stadium that no longer guarantees an edge. If that psychological advantage is fading, Liverpool have to replace it with something else: greater control in possession, sharper decision making in the final third, and a defensive structure that can withstand the strongest attacks without unraveling. Those are all solvable problems, but they require time, confidence and consistency, three things that are hard to find when the league table keeps tightening around you.
What happens next will likely define how Slot first year is remembered. If Liverpool can stabilise, start turning strong performances into points and climb back into the Champions League places, this period will be treated as a painful adjustment. But if the late collapses continue and the gap to the top five grows, then the season risks being framed as a warning sign, not a transition year. With rivals gathering speed and pressure building from every angle, Liverpool margin for error is shrinking fast, and the loss to Manchester City felt like another moment when a crucial opportunity slipped away at the very end.
