Do The Experts Think Liverpool Will Retain Their Premier League Title?
Backed by major signings like Florian Wirtz, retention of key players such as Salah and Van Dijk, and a strong core of emerging talent, Arne Slot’s Liverpool are the favorites to win the EPL title after a dominant 2024 season. Despite the tragic loss of Diogo Jota and injury concerns that could derail their campaign, Liverpool remain a step ahead of rivals like City, Arsenal, and Chelsea, with sportsbooks pricing them at 7/4 to win the 25/26 title.
Liverpool Football Club fans at Anfield [Credit: anwo00 via Pixabay]
Jürgen Klopp will go down in Anfield folklore for ending the Reds’ domestic drought. Thirty years without a title until Liverpool powerhoused their way to the title with over half a dozen games to spare in the 2019/20 season.
Following the German in the dugout would have been a challenging task for any manager in the world. Still, when the relatively unknown quantity of Arne Slot was announced as Klopp’s successor, there were plenty of Liverpool fans who believed that the Dutchman simply didn’t have what it takes to follow such a titan of Liverpool’s history.
However, following an incredible first season following his appointment in 2024, Liverpool once again left the competition in their wake – but with the new season upon us, will they have the capacity to repeat this feat? Or can Chelsea, Manchester City, or Arsenal close the gap?
What Do The Sportsbooks Say About Liverpool?
It shouldn’t come as a shock that Liverpool are the sportsbooks’ chief pick to lift the EPL at the end of the 25/26 season. Currently, they’re 7/4 to repeat their achievement from last season. Popping that information into an odds value calculator, we can quickly calculate that a $40 bet would net a return of $70 if Slot were to pull it off again.
Between Arsenal and Man City, who find themselves at 5/2 and 7/2 respectively, it’s clearly evident why Liverpool are a step ahead. Not only have they kept a number of the top players in their squad, but they have also been able to spend vast sums of money in bringing in some of the most exciting players in Europe.
The pick of the bunch is, of course, Florian Wirtz, who signed for a reported fee of over £116 million. Slot is convinced that the magical German talent will be able to replace some of the goals and assists that Liverpool will be missing following Trent’s mega move to Real Madrid.
Keeping The Core
Although there have been murmurs about Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk heading for the exit and big-money moves to the Saudi Pro League, Slot has managed to retain the framework of the Liverpool squad that proved far too much for the rest of the EPL last season.
While Saudi Arabia seems to be the epicenter for all the latest elite sporting events, such as the biggest eSports tournaments, it’s a league that has managed to attract the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ivan Toney. That’s not to say that Van Dijk or Salah will make the move at some point, but for now, it seems like they’re going to be firing on all cylinders in the upcoming season.
Not only have they kept this dynamic duo, but with Alisson still between the sticks and the next generation of elite talent like Harvey Elliot and Connor Bradley coming through the ranks, there’s a solidity about the Reds from the dugout right down to the strength of their starting eleven.
Liverpool Dealing With Tragedy
The tragic loss of Diogo Jota, in news that brought the sporting world to a standstill, will have had a colossal impact on the squad. They lost one of their close friends, teammates, and a player who was seminal in their 2024 title.
Some experts believe that this tragedy could bring the team together and inspire them to defend their title in honour of their legendary teammate. Others think it could have a shaky impact on the team, given it is a tragedy that has rarely befallen defending titlists in English football. However, this is purely speculative until we’re at least a few games into the season.
Ultimately, this is a team that has won multiple leagues, and with the spirit of their iconic, late Portuguese superstar, you’d think the tragedy of his loss will spur them on rather than work against them.
Bumps In The Road
As with any successful title defence, Arne Slot will be crossing his fingers to ensure that none of his big names pick up any serious injuries. Rodri’s ACL injury derailed Manchester City’s season, and while the Spaniard was out for 8 months, Guardiola’s men completely dropped out of the title race.
However, if the same bad luck were to hit the Reds, and Van Dijk or Mo Salah found themselves out for large chunks of next season, then the chances of them retaining their title widen by quite a fair distance. All in all, though, City are a team with a lot on their plate, some of their icons have moved on, they’ve got over 100 charges looming over their head, and perennial bottlers Arsenal seem almost destined to slip up again at some point.
Other than that, there are no other real challengers to Liverpool’s throne. Chelsea may mount a challenge, following an impressive pre-season and Club World Cup win, but if their performances last season are anything to go by, Liverpool will be streets ahead, and they are the favorites for a reason.
