Premier League 2025/26: Liverpool's ambitions and challenges

Liverpool's Premier League title defence faces a major challenge, with Arne Slot also keen to succeed in the Champions League.

Summer is exciting

Liverpool entered the new season as the reigning Premier League champions, after being crowned champions for the 20th time in history – equaling MU's record.

Last season's championship came with a large score gap (10 points more than runner-up Arsenal), along with the attacking and organized playing style of coach Arne Slot.

Liverpool make big deals to defend Premier League title. Photo: LFC

However, the journey to defend the throne this season opened with two opposing shades: great ambition in the transfer market and immeasurable pain of loss when Diogo Jota left forever.

The 2025 summer transfer window is a strong statement of Liverpool's ambition. They spent more than 300 million euros to bring in top names.

Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong bring pace on the defensive flanks; Hugo Ekitike is a prolific goalscorer; and Florian Wirtz is a record signing in English football.

Wirtz is expected to become a new weapon to help Slot turn dominance into big wins, with ambitions for the Premier League and Champions League.

The impact of the Diogo Jota case

However, any assessment of Liverpool must take into account the impact of the shock of July 3, when Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash.

Ekitike makes a splashy debut. Photo: LFC

Just 11 days earlier, Jota had married Rute Cardoso – his partner and mother of three children. At Anfield, he was not only a sharp striker, but also a popular figure in the dressing room.

Liverpool have retired the number 20 shirt at all levels and are planning to erect a memorial. The loss has left a void in the club's professional life and is a mental blow to the entire team.

Last season, Liverpool showed little sign of slowing down until the period from November to March, when they had to play 30 games in all competitions.

Slot admitted he should have rotated more, especially after losing the League Cup final to Newcastle.

Defense issues

This season, with a more extensive squad, the Dutch coach will proactively rotate to avoid exhaustion. However, there is one weakness that has not been completely resolved: depth in the center of the defense.

The duo Virgil van Dijk – Ibrahima Konate was a steel shield last season. However, the former is now 34 years old and no longer maintains the agility of before.

Wirtz needs time to settle in. Photo: Imago

The recent Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace was a clear example: the Dutch centre-back was outplayed by Isma i la Sarr in two situations leading to goals.

It can't be dismissed as an accident. Van Dijk's two mistakes are a warning that Liverpool need a backup plan if Virgil runs out of steam in high-speed matches.

Giovanni Leoni has arrived. The 18-year-old Italian talent is worth 35 million euros. Liverpool will not stop: they are preparing to sign Marc Guehi from the same Crystal Palace who just beat them.

Liverpool have plenty of talent up front. Ekitike scored on his debut, but Wirtz seems to need more time to adapt to English football.

Wirtz problem

Luis Diaz's departure forced Slot to adjust his attack plan. He wanted Wirtz to integrate as quickly as possible, because the competition schedule was very fierce.

After the opening match with Bournemouth (2am on August 16), Liverpool will face Newcastle and Arsenal in succession - it will be very difficult to win 9 absolute points like the start of last season.

Arne Slot needs to solve the problem of defense and Van Dijk's form. Photo: Imago

Slot started his Anfield journey with 11 wins in his first 12 Premier League games, always maintaining a calm and calculating demeanor.

Liverpool lost to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield: A necessary slap in the face

Having become the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League – joining Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish, who also won in their debut seasons – he wants to maintain Liverpool's No.

A tough task. Crystal Palace exposed Liverpool's defensive limitations, especially with Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch absent.

In addition, rivals Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, MU and Tottenham have all made strong reforms. Not to mention Newcastle and Aston Villa are ready to play the role of "dark horses".

To surpass MU with 21 English football championships, Liverpool need to show superior attacking power, as well as immediately solve the defensive problem - where Van Dijk cannot forever be an impregnable shield.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/premier-league-2025-26-khai-mac-tham-vong-liverpool-2432190.html