Slot sees Champions League chance to reshape Liverpool season

January 28, 2026 Oliver Obel

For all the scrutiny surrounding Liverpool’s Premier League form, Arne Slot knows his side’s season is not yet defined. Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with Qarabag offers a different measure of progress and potentially a reminder that Liverpool remain contenders on more than one front.

Victory would secure automatic qualification for the last-16 and reinforce Liverpool’s position among the competition’s leading sides. That European footing stands in contrast to domestic results that have placed Slot under increasing pressure during his first season in charge.

BBC Sport reports that Liverpool have won just five of their past 18 league matches, a sequence that has left them sixth and effectively removed them from the title conversation. At a club where success is often judged by silverware, such a slide inevitably sharpens debate around direction and standards.

Slot has not attempted to downplay that reality. Instead, he has framed the season as one that could still swing dramatically, depending on whether Liverpool can address weaknesses at both ends of the pitch.

“If we can improve in both boxes, we can do very special things this season,” Slot said.
“But if we can only improve in one box, then it will probably be an acceptable season but not more than that.
And if we can't improve in both boxes, there's going to be a lot of noise.”

Measuring success under expectation

Pressed to define what “acceptable” means at a club with Liverpool’s history, Slot avoided setting public benchmarks. Winning the league, he noted, remains the ultimate objective even if recent decades illustrate how rarely that aim is achieved.

He also pushed back against simplified narratives around spending, pointing out that significant investment has been offset by major player sales. In his view, judgement from outside the club is unavoidable when results fall short, particularly in a league as unforgiving as the Premier League.

Qarabag warning as qualification nears

That tension now frames the visit of Qarabag, who still have an outside chance of finishing among the Champions League’s top eight. Slot cautioned against complacency, referencing the Azerbaijani side’s pace and their ability to trouble elite opponents, including a 2-2 draw with Chelsea earlier in the campaign.

He also suggested that the physical and mental demands of Europe may have contributed to inconsistent league performances in the matches that followed continental fixtures a challenge familiar to clubs competing on multiple fronts.

Defensive concerns and squad outlook

Slot also addressed speculation over Andy Robertson, indicating he expects the vice-captain to remain at Anfield despite interest from Tottenham. “I’m happy to have him and it’s good that he is available,” he said.

Defensive depth, however, remains an immediate concern. Joe Gomez will miss the Qarabag match with a hip injury, while Ibrahima Konate is still absent following a family bereavement. With Virgil van Dijk the only senior centre-back available, Slot is prepared to use a midfielder alongside his captain if required.

Sources: BBC Sport