Andoni Iraola must copy Chelsea to reignite Liverpool after Arne Slot struggles

It will be difficult for Liverpool to reclaim the Premier League title under Andoni Iraola at the first time of asking but not impossible

Liverpool were favourites to win the Premier League last season, heading into the campaign as defending champions and having overseen a £450m spending spree which saw them break the British transfer record twice. Yet Arne Slot’s side fell horrendously short.

Finishing fifth in the Premier League table, 25 points behind eventual champions Arsenal, they only qualified for the Champions League courtesy of England being granted one of the two European Performance Spots awarded to the two associations with the highest UEFA coefficient points.

The Reds finished on 60 points, winning 17 but losing 12 of their 38 matches. It was not the worst title defence in Premier League history, but they were not far off.

Only Leicester City in 2016/17 and Chelsea in 2015/16 recorded fewer points as defending champions with 44 and 50 respectively.

Meanwhile, Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United both finished seventh when failing to defend the title in 1995/96 and 2013/14, though boasted 61 and 64 points respectively.

Slot would ultimately lose his job as a result of such failings, with Andoni Iraola swiftly named as his successor. And while the Spaniard will be determined to improve fortunes at Anfield, leading the Reds to a 21st league championship at the first attempt would be considered unlikely.

But it has been done before. Since the inaugural Premier League campaign in 1992/93, the title has been reclaimed at the first attempt on nine occasions. And while the majority are admittedly the sides of Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola bouncing back strongly, two of the three most recent occasions have instead come under new management.

Chelsea won the league under Jose Mourinho in 2014/15, only to part company with the Portuguese in December 2015 in the midst of what became – at that time – the worst ever Premier League defence in 2015/16.

However, the Londoners then enjoyed an extraordinary campaign under new head coach Antonio Conte in 2016/17 to reclaim the title at the first attempt.

Chelsea recorded the then second-highest points tally in Premier League history (93), and managed to break the record for number of wins in a season (30). Meanwhile, they also equalled the then-record for most consecutive wins in a campaign (13).

Meanwhile, Liverpool were the side to miss out when Man City reclaimed the Premier League title under new management in 2013/14.

Roberto Mancini had led the Cityzens to their first ever Premier League title in 2011/12, only to lose his job in May 2013 just days after City’s shock FA Cup final defeat to Wigan Athletic.

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While he had not overseen an awful title defence, City finished second in the table – 11 points behind champions Manchester United – and were also knocked out in the Champions League group-stages.

Consequently, the club said the failure to hit “stated targets” and the need to “develop a holistic approach to all aspects of football at the club” prompted the sacking.

Manuel Pellegrini was appointed as Mancini’s successor and led City to the Premier League title at the first attempt, pipping Liverpool by just two points as the Reds were left to rue a Steven Gerrard slip against Chelsea and the surrender of a 3-0 lead away at Crystal Palace.

The Chilean also led City into the Champions League knockout stages for the first time, while they won two trophies in a season for the first time since 1969/70 courtesy of a League Cup win in March 2014.

Admittedly Conte’s Chelsea and Pellegrini’s City were much better-placed than Iraola’s Liverpool to instantly challenge for the title.

City bolstered Pellegrini’s squad with a £91m splurge on Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, Alvaro Negredo, Steven Jovetic and Martin Demichelis. Chelsea backed Conte with an £118m outlay on Michy Batshuayi, N’Golo Kane, Marcos Alonso and David Luiz.

In contrast, Victor Munoz remains the sole addition to Iraola’s ranks so far, with a deal for Jeremy Jacquet already agreed back in January. The Reds have also just waved off Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate on Bosman transfers, and remain without the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley to long-term injury.

It is clear that Liverpool still need significant recruitment ahead of their new season starting on August 23. But Iraola has already admitted this publicly as the Reds face up to a difficult challenge ahead.

But difficult does not mean impossible. While reigning champions Arsenal will inevitably be title favourites heading into the 2026/27 campaign, Man City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will also all be hoping to challenge.

And so too will Liverpool. No-one expected Slot’s side to win the Premier League at the first time of asking in 2024/25, following Jurgen Klopp’s departure, and the same is true again.

But while the Reds might not be in as strong a state as they found themselves two years ago ahead of their last title-winning campaign, Man City and Chelsea have both at least shown them the way when it comes to bouncing back stronger.