Heading into Saturday’s match against Brighton, Liverpool are unbeaten in their last four matches.
There had been plenty of questions raised about Arne Slot recently, but the mood has shifted, and there is a noticeable improvement in the atmosphere at Anfield.
The midweek win over Inter Milan added to five points from their last three Premier League games, giving them a bit of momentum going into the weekend.
Sunderland and Leeds were not perfect performances by any means, but there is a growing sense that things are moving in the right direction. Even Jamie Carragher has started to walk back some of his earlier criticisms.
Jamie Carragher admits he was wrong about Arne Slot’s points target
Liverpool played three Premier League matches in a week, picking up five points during that stretch.
Before the West Ham match, Carragher had stated that Slot needed seven points from those games to keep his job.
During the Leeds draw, Sky Sports’ Zinny Boswell commented: “Jamie Carragher told Arne Slot he needed seven points from his next three games to save his job at Liverpool just over a week ago. Unless they can score a late winner here, Slot will have failed to meet that target.”
But writing in his column for the Telegraph on Friday, the former Liverpool defender acknowledged he was off the mark with that assessment.
Carragher wrote: “My mistake was to suggest he needed a minimum of seven points from nine. It was more important for Slot to show he can take big decisions to stop the bleeding.
“Liverpool are now unbeaten in their last four, with two wins. Slot made changes to his line-up to make the games less open and help his defenders.”
How many points Liverpool need to secure Champions League football
Liverpool may still have issues to address, but their recent form under Arne Slot is a positive sign that progress is being made.
But an earlier stretch of just three wins in 12 matches across all competitions has left them playing catch-up in the race for the Premier League’s top four.
Missing out on Champions League qualification would not put the club in financial trouble, but it could make Slot’s position less secure. That will be up to Fenway Sports Group, and they have not shown much patience lately.
Heading into the Brighton match, Liverpool are three points behind Crystal Palace. Even if they win, goal difference means fifth place is the best they can hope for by Saturday evening.
Looking at recent history, fourth place was claimed with 69 and 68 points over the past two seasons.
Based on that trend, Liverpool will probably need around 47 more points from their remaining fixtures to reach 70 and give themselves a solid chance at returning to Europe’s premier competition next season.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
