Liverpool lost 1-4 to PSV, and Guardiola's lesson for Slot.
Losing 1-4 to PSV, Liverpool are mired in a run of nine defeats in their last 12 matches. The personnel gambles backfired, leaving Arne Slot facing the choice of learning Guardiola's lessons in resurgence.
The 1-4 defeat against PSV Eindhoven wasn't just a bad result; it capped off a run of nine defeats in their last 12 matches, exposing a reigning champion who is losing their way. In this context, the path Pep Guardiola's Manchester City took last season becomes the clearest reference point for Arne Slot.
From a 1-4 defeat to a 9/12 losing streak.
Liverpool's decline came quickly and steeply. The defeat against PSV Eindhoven was merely the culmination of a prolonged slump, where personnel disarray and confidence were eroded. For a champion, it's a dangerous lull between the ambition to maintain their top form and the reality that their squad has passed its peak.
These personnel gambles backfired.
Slot needed a overhaul from the summer onwards. But Liverpool made their choices based on optimistic assumptions – and now those assumptions are backfiring.
- Internal replacement: Conor Bradley was expected to share Trent Alexander-Arnold's role, but injury disrupted the plans.
- New signings and adaptation: Alexander Isak hasn't found his optimal fitness; Florian Wirtz is underwhelmed by the demands of the Premier League; Milos Kerkez is overwhelmed by the pressure at a big club.
- Belief in key players: Extending the contracts of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah was a gamble on prolonging their peak performance for at least another season – but both have declined, especially Salah.
- Talent outflow: Jarell Quansah and Harvey Elliott have left, taking away two young options that could have been useful in this situation.
These decisions reflect a strategy that prioritizes the future while downplaying the value of the present – a risk that becomes even more apparent when injuries and form both turn against each other.
Guardiola's precedent: collapse, make adjustments, revive.
Around this time last season, Manchester City, after winning four consecutive league titles, also fell into a slump. Pep Guardiola then accepted the reality: a golden generation had reached the end of its cycle. But instead of giving up, he patiently maintained his philosophy while making necessary adjustments in the transfer market.
The results weren't immediate, but they were enough to stabilize the trajectory: City finished the season in third place and reached the FA Cup final. Entering this season, despite some setbacks, a path of progress has been established – the foundation for a new rebuilding process.
The problem for Slot now is...
Slot is under more pressure than ever. But Guardiola's precedent shows a way out: stay true to your core philosophy, while being willing to adjust what's no longer working – especially in terms of transfers and personnel management. There's no magic wand, only a series of astute decisions to halt the decline and gradually recover.
Reassessing player selection criteria, re-evaluating the role of key players, and managing injury risks – these are all the minimum steps needed to get the train back on track. Liverpool believed they had entered a rebuilding phase after the summer; now it's time to translate that belief into a concrete structure.
The numbers are noteworthy.
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Recent results | PSV Eindhoven 4-1 Liverpool |
| Liverpool's form | Lost 9 out of their last 12 matches. |
| Man City precedent | 4 consecutive championships before a decline. |
| Man City's recovery | Third place and the FA Cup final at the end of the season. |
Immediate meaning
The pressure to sack him will only intensify if Liverpool fail to break their losing streak. But looking at Guardiola, Slot can see that there is still a way out, provided he dares to make decisions and is willing to pay a short-term price for a more sustainable long-term structure. His future is tied to repeating that lesson – not as a copy, but as an operating principle: be level-headed, patient, and make the right adjustments.
