Liverpool are yet to win a Premier League game in 2026 as they lost 3-2 to Bournemouth after four successive draws against Fulham, Leeds United, Arsenal and Burnley.
Arne Slot's side are currently sixth in the table as the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United leapfrogged them after winning their respective league games last week.
In the UEFA Champions League, however, the Reds are in a much better position. If other results go their way, even a draw against Qarabag tomorrow could be enough to secure a place in the Round of 16 directly.
In recent weeks, speculation surrounding Slot's future have dominated the back pages as reports in Spain suggested Xabi Alonso is interested in taking over at Liverpool.
And now, the Dutchman has made a peculiar claim about the Reds' Premier League triumph last season, which could infuriate the Anfield faithful.
Until February last year, Liverpool were flying across all competitions. They were 16 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table and finished top of their Champions League group, while they had a Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United to look forward to.
They ended up winning the league quite comfortably but lost out to the Magpies in the cup final. In Europe, they were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 as the Parisians found form at the right time to eventually go on to win the competition.
Slot believes Liverpool's premature elimination from Europe actually helped his side domestically, as after they lost out to PSG, they only had to play one game a week, which allowed his players to be well rested.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Qarabag's visit to Anfield, the Dutchman quipped, "Again, this is not going to be a popular opinion what I tell you now.
"Maybe the reason we won the league last season is because we played Paris Saint-Germain. We had a week to prepare for league games [after going out of Champions League].”
His comments have been met with criticism on social media as the Anfield faithful feel the Reds need to compete on all fronts every season, regardless of their circumstances.
Despite reports in Spain linking Alonso to a return to Anfield, Slot's job at Liverpool is not under threat for the time being.
However, if things don't change between now and the end of the season, the Reds' hierarchy could re-evaluate their stance in the coming weeks.
For now, though, the Dutchman will focus on getting a victory tomorrow to confirm Liverpool's position in the Round of 16.
And he'll have to make do without two key players. Slot confirmed that Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez will not be available to face Qarabag, with Wataru Endo in line for a rare start at centre-back.
Federico Chiesa, however, is back in the fray after missing recent fixtures due to a minor niggle.
