Liverpool's collapse is shocking but also a sign of champions

Chelsea, Leicester and the Reds five years ago suffered big points drops the season after winning the title

- Harry Paterson

Six defeats in 12 topflight games is not just a wobble for Liverpool. It’s one of the worst starts ever made by defending Premier League champions.

The last team to begin their title defence this badly were Leicester City in 2016-17. They finished 12th that season - where Liverpool are now - with Claudio Ranieri sacked midway through the campaign.

The same fate befell José Mourinho at Chelsea in the 2015-16 season. They started with seven defeats in 12 games, a collapse so severe that Mourinho was shown the door a week before Christmas.

For Liverpool and Arne Slot, the warning signs could not be clearer.

The transformation from champions to chaos has been stark. Just six months ago, Slot was heralded as a record breaker, the man who had taken on the unenviable task of replacing club legend Jürgen Klopp and done it with apparent ease. Under his guidance, Liverpool clinched the title with four games to spare, an achievement only three other teams have managed. Slot became the third-youngest manager to win the Premier League, the fifth to win it in his first season in England and, most importantly, he brought the title to Anfield for just the second time in 35 years.

Liverpool fans must have thought things could not get any better. But, as soon as the bunting from the trophy parade had been folded away, the club unleashed a record-breaking £450m summer spending spree. Gone were the days of speculating about whether Mario Balotelli or Rickie Lambert would lead the line. Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni and Giorgi Mamardashvili came through the door at Anfield and expectations rose. The question was no longer whether they would win a trophy this season but how many. Could they do the Treble? Who could compete with such a potent attack?