Worse off than last March? Why Liverpool’s decline offers a hidden win

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Liverpool look like a different side to the one Arne Slot won the title with last season, but looking back a year actually paints a more promising picture than you would think.

As we head into the international break, it’s a good time to reflect on the season so far.

It hasn’t been great. Liverpool have been plagued by inconsistency ever since, and the team is way off in terms of quality and intensity. Arne Slot continues to frustrate fans

Going back 12 months, the Reds weren’t actually much better off. The title was all but wrapped up, and you could tell in the performances. There’s an argument to be made that, in a vacuum, this international break sees Liverpool in a better position.

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March 2025 vs March 2026 at Liverpool

By this point last season, it was already clear that the Premier League trophy was going to Anfield.

While not mathematically certain until weeks after, it would have taken a collapse unlike any seen before to prise the title away from the Reds.

Taking the Premier League out of it, though, the position Liverpool are in now is arguably more encouraging.

In the lead-up to the international break, Liverpool lost to Newcastle in the cup final and were booted out of Europe by PSG on penalties. This season, they are still in the FA Cup and have advanced out of the round of 16 in the Champions League.

Where last season felt like a stroll to the finish line with no other opportunities for success, this campaign offers the chance for an exciting run-in.

The extra motivation paired with the fact that we aren’t coming into this break on a run of two losses, and there is reason to hope for a strong end to the season.

Liverpool’s post-international break resurgence

Last year, the Reds did a good job of recalibrating during the break.

They returned from international duty with the bit between their teeth, embarking on a run of four wins in five league outings, culminating in a win at Anfield that sealed the title.

That stretch saw Liverpool face Everton, Fulham, West Ham, Leicester and finally Tottenham.

This time around, the games are a bit trickier. Man City in the FA Cup, PSG twice, and Fulham and Everton again.

The stakes are different. Last season, there wasn’t really anything to play for. This time around, there’s domestic cup glory to chase, revenge to be taken against the European champions, and an increasingly difficult top-five race to take part in.

If last season is any indication, Liverpool will come back revitalised. Let’s hope Slot can turn that into results.

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