Everything’s the Best: But It’s Not

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 10: Liverpool players Alexis Mac Allister, Harvey Elliott, Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konate, Wataru Endo, Virgil van Dijk, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Andrew Robertson and Mohamed Salah look dejected while watching the penalty shoot out during the 2025 FA Community Shield match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on August 10, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images) | Getty Images Liverpool are about one week away from the end of what has been, in the most generous of terms, a down year. Never mind that expectations and standards (more on that in a minute) at Liverpool are generally sky high given the club’s history, most would have expected Liverpool to do better than fifth and looking a shaky bet to claim a Champions League berth within an expanded format given their title win and a transfer window that had them as consensus winners.

Liverpool were a Premier League titleholder that had transformed into a potential dynasty. You can’t blame Liverpool fans and footballing pundits for being so effusive either; the club signed a generational talent from Germany, beating out Bayern Munich in the process. Then, to prepare for the eventual departure of Mohamed Salah, they signed arguably the best striker in the league besides Erling Haaland in Alexander Isak.

And, if that were enough, that came after already beating Newcastle to Hugo Ekitike, a striker whose profile some likened to Isak. Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong seemed shrewd gets to prepare for more transition, with the Reds’ famed fullbacking duo of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson was on its way out given the departure of the former to Real Madrid. We know now, the Scotsman is leaving at the end of this season.

All of those moves were set to bolster a team that had effectively won the Premier League in a walk. Liverpool were automatic contenders – on paper. But as the saying goes, that’s why we play the games.