What history tells us about Liverpool’s 2025/26 season | OneFootball

Champions! The 2024/25 Premier League season ended in glory for Liverpool in Arne Slot’s debut campaign in charge. A dominant run saw the team secure the league title with games to spare, quite the achievement considering this was the club’s first season without the iconic Jurgen Klopp in the hotseat. Nine years with the legendary German in charge was remarkably followed up by only a second Premier League crown in what was Slot’s first season at the helm. But what does history tell us to expect as the Reds look to back up that glory in the new season?

Here we cast our eyes back to the last four times the Anfield club secured the English top flight crown, assessing what came immediately after, and using those omens to assess what the top sports betting apps are already providing odds on: where will Liverpool finish up this time around?

2020/21

2019/20 was the year that finally saw Liverpool’s first Premier League crown and came a year after the club secured its sixth European Cup / Champions League title. Led by the charismatic Klopp, the Reds eventually cantered to the title, finishing a whopping 18 points ahead of perennial champions Manchester City and ending 30 years of title hurt in the process. But the Reds had trouble backing it up in the 2020/21 season, a campaign which ultimately ended trophyless.

Things started poorly with a penalty shootout defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield final, and the season just never really got going, despite Mohamed Salah once again banging in the goals. Klopp’s men finished behind both Manchester clubs in the league table, and endured early exits in the FA and League Cup.

A run in the Champions League was ended by Real Madrid at the quarter-final stage, as it was back to the drawing board for Klopp and his men. But of course, more trophies were to follow, but the league title was to elude the German for the rest of his time at the club. However, delivering that first Premier League crown will be something he will never be forgotten for.

1990/91

It was still the First Division back then. Before the English topflight got it rebrand for the 1992/93 season, Liverpool remained the dominant force in English football, securing what was then the club’s 18th league title in the 1989/90 season.

The 1980s was a decade in which the Reds absolutely ruled, but in the opening campaign of the 1990s, the club couldn’t back up the success secured in 1989/90 under the guidance of the legendary Kenny Dalglish. Indeed, halfway through the 1990/21 season the Scotsman dramatically resigned from his position as manager, giving personal reasons for the decision.

Things had started well enough, with a 1-1 draw against Manchester United in the Charity Shield meaning the clubs shared the prize. But a third-round exit in the League Cup was followed by a fifth-round defeat in the FA Cup at the hands of Everton courtesy of a replay days after Dalglish had resigned. And with English clubs still banned from European competition, there was no continental glory to be chased either.

1988/89

The 1988/89 season saw the Reds fail to defend their crown after once again securing the topflight prize in a glorious 1987/88 season which saw the club going so close to a domestic double.

Only a shock win for Wimbledon in the 1987 FA Cup final prevented Kenny Dalglish’s men securing the monumental achievement, but the club would go one better in that competition this time round, although it was, of course, a bittersweet victory after the tragedy of Hillsborough in the semi-final.

As for the league campaign, the Reds ultimately came up short in the final game of the season by going down two nil to Arsenal, who dramatically clinched the win with their iconic win at Anfield. A heart-breaking season for the Reds and the club’s supporters for so many reasons.

1986/87

The 1985/86 season was one of almost total domination for Dalglish and the Reds. The First Division title was backed up by a win over great rivals Everton in the FA Cup final, a result which saw the club secure its first, and until now only, league and cup double.

A run deep into the latter stages of the League Cup was ended by a semi-final defeat at the hands of QPR. With that level of performance across the campaign, much was anticipated for the 1986/87 season, but again it was optimism that was proven to ultimately be misplaced.

The 1980s was a time when the city of Liverpool was the centre of the English footballing world, and it was cross-city rivals Everton that claimed their second title in three years by finishing nine points clear of the Reds. Indeed, the two Liverpool clubs were to hoover up eight of the ten league titles in the decade.

The campaign had got off to an apt start with the two Merseyside clubs sharing the Charity Shield after a 1-1 draw at Wembley. But that was to be Liverpool’s only silverware of the campaign as a shock defeat at the hands of Luton in the third round of the FA Cup was later followed by defeat to Arsenal in the League Cup final again at Wembley.