Credit: Imago

Liverpool News Speaking to Ian Darke

Thu 27 March 2025 16:00, UK

Liverpool will win the Premier League this season. No more, no less. Most fans are happy enough.

Arne Slot, if he was still under any illusions at this point, will now know the unprecedented pressure in his own managerial career of a debut season – in which he will bring the English league title back to Anfield after five years – of ‘just one’ trophy not being glamorous enough for some.

Liverpool’s successful grapple of the silverware back from Man City, after their four-year siege on the Premier League, was realistically sealed from the moment Arsenal were forced to begin playing without a single fit striker in their squad.

But they are no longer in the Champions League, no longer in the FA Cup, and were beaten on the day by the better side in Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final.

Liverpool fans must remember what they’d have taken this season – Darke

Discontent has emerged among the Liverpool support-base for the first time this season in the wake of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s imminent free transfer to Real Madrid from his boyhood club.

But it has also been smoke from an initially small flame caused by the angst at being eliminated from the Champions League, by a Paris Saint-Germain side far better as a unit without their former superstars.

Slot sacrificed the FA Cup in favour of the modern-day ‘big ones’, as a second-string side bowed out to Championship basement side Plymouth Argyle in the fourth round.

TV commentator Ian Darke, speaking exclusively to Liverpool News, has voiced regular views on the Reds lately and has urged any disappointed fans to remember what they would have taken after the departure of Jurgen Klopp.

“It’s always difficult to do this, but switch the clock back to the beginning of August last year. It was the end of the Klopp era, this new guy is coming in, and they don’t know how it’s going to work out,” Darke recounted.

“Many fans would probably have taken a ‘transitional’ year, tucked in behind Manchester City and maybe a couple of other clubs as well, but look what’s happened.

“They’ve looked – for most of the season – easily the best team, and they’re going to be champions. If you’d asked Liverpool fans on 1 August whether they’d take ‘just’ the Premier League title this year in the first season under Slot, they’d have gladly accepted it.”

Anfield must not let itself be soured by Alexander-Arnold saga

Liverpool fans are up in arms for the first convincing time this season as Alexander-Arnold moves closer to the Bernabeu.

However, it has been a stunning season for the Reds and they must not lose sight of their achievements, especially that of Slot who has had huge shoes to fill.

The Liverpool board must learn from the situation of their long-serving right-back with future stars, while the situations of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk roll on.