Liverpool’s Anfield home – Source: Unsplash

Almost exactly a year ago, Arne Slot was being widely praised for his record-breaking start in charge of Liverpool. What a difference a year makes. 

While the Dutchman’s spectacular start to life at Anfield would ultimately culminate in winning the Premier League title, their defense of that crown couldn’t be going any worse. The Reds’ stunning 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, their worst loss at Anfield in over a decade, was their sixth Premier League defeat in seven games. The shock result has seen them plummet down to 11th place in the table, already eight points behind table toppers Arsenal, triggering the Merseyside faithful to begin to clamour for manager Slot’s head. 

After beginning their title defense with five straight victories, the Reds were installed as an odds-on favorite to successfully defend their crown. Since then, however, it has been nothing but pain, and the only thing moving faster than Liverpool’s collapse down the table is the speed at which punters are plugging both Arsenal and Manchester City odds into an arbitrage calculator in a bid to lock in risk-free returns. Arbitrage calculator betting helps bettors determine the exact stake they need to wager across multiple outcomes on the same market in order to guarantee a profit, but with value on the reigning champions quickly depleting, the opportunity to successfully lay a bet on the Reds winning the Premier League has seemingly already passed. 

But one source of solace for Liverpool fans and backers alike is that they are by no means the only teams to struggle in defending their Premier League title. Here are the three worst Premier League title defences of all time. 

Jose Mourinho Sacked As Chelsea’s Title Defense Falls Apart 

In 2015, Jose Mourinho led Chelsea to the Premier League title in dominant fashion, adding to the two crowns he claimed in his first stint at Stamford Bridge a decade prior. With the likes of Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, and Willian leading the charge, many expected the Blues to go on and build a dynasty. However, they inexplicably capitulated, resulting in their iconic Portuguese manager being sacked just six months on from his finest hour. 

Chelsea began their title defense miserably, losing three of their opening five games, and the woes didn’t stop there. From October to December, the Blues lost six times in nine games, with a 2-1 loss at shock table toppers Leicester City, leaving Mourinho’s men down in 16th place in the table, just one point off the relegation zone. The Stamford Bridge hierarchy could hold off no longer, and the Special One was duly axed. 

Guus Hiddink was brought in to steady the ship, and ultimately, the Dutch boss did exactly that. The Blues lost just three of their remaining 21 games after Mourinho’s dismissal, but 11 of those games ended in draws. As a result, Chelsea could only muster up a tenth-place finish, their worst in 20 years. 

Leicester City’s Miracle Men Can’t Keep Up the Pace 

While Chelsea were floundering in 2015/16, Leicester City were busy shocking the footballing world, winning the Premier League for the first time in history in a stunning 5000/1 upset, the biggest in sports history. However, their title defense never got off the ground. 

The Foxes lost exactly half of their first 18 games, leaving the club flirting with the idea of relegation. A 1-0 win at home to West Ham and a 0-0 draw away at Middlesbrough eased those concerns somewhat before senior players downed tools, meeting with the club’s owners four times in a bid to get manager Claudio Ranieri sacked. Then, they took matters into their own hands. 

With effort dropping to barely acceptable levels, Leicester lost five on the spin, falling to dead last in the table and prompting the club’s owners to act. Ultimately, they did, sacking the beloved Italian manager before interim boss Craig Shakespeare took over and immediately led the Foxes to five straight wins and a spot in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. Leicester would eventually finish 12th, leaving relegation fears firmly in the rearview mirror, but there can be no denying that their title defense was one of the worst of all time. 

Manchester United’s Post-Fergie Era Turns Into a Nightmare 

In his final season in charge, legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson ensured that his 27-year tenure in charge of Manchester United would end in the exact position that the vast majority of his era was spent: on top. Fergie led the Red Devils to a record 20th Premier League title in his final season in charge. He then hand-selected his replacement, former (and in 2025, the current) Everton manager David Moyes. 

But the Scotsman ultimately inherited a poisoned chalice and an impossible job. With Ferguson leaving behind an aging squad containing the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra, and Robin van Persie – all the wrong side of 30 – United simply couldn’t keep up. With Moyes at the helm, United dropped down the table like a fly, losing at home to the likes of West Brom, Everton, Newcastle, Spurs, and Sunderland, results unfathomable when their iconic former manager was still in charge. 

As a result, United slumped to seventh in the table, their worst finish since 1990. Moyes was sacked in April, and United have never returned to the Ferguson heights since. 

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