Liverpool enter the new Premier League season looking to reassert themselves after a turbulent 2025/26 campaign that ended with a fifth‑place finish and the departure of Arne Slot. The arrival of Andoni Iraola marks another shift in direction at Anfield. The Merseyside club hope his high‑energy, front‑foot approach can restore consistency to a squad still stacked with elite talent. The Premier League Gambling Podcast is your place to stay up to date with all of our regular picks and podcasts.
Liverpool’s 2025/26 campaign was a jarring comedown from the title win the year before. Arne Slot’s second season never settled. Performances dipped, results became erratic, and a side that had looked ruthless in 2024/25 suddenly struggled to control matches or convert chances. They laboured to fifth place in the Premier League , a finish that felt miles off the standards set under Klopp and the expectations that followed Slot’s debut title. Injuries didn’t help, Alexander Isak’s broken leg halted his momentum, not that he had any, the defence lost consistency, and even Liverpool’s normally reliable attacking patterns looked disjointed. By May, the sense of drift was impossible to ignore.
That slump triggered decisive action. Slot was sacked on 30 May 2026 , and Liverpool moved quickly to appoint Andoni Iraola five days later. Iraola arrives with a reputation for high‑energy football and tactical clarity. Liverpool’s hierarchy clearly believe his aggressive pressing, vertical transitions and structured 4‑2‑3‑1 can jolt the squad back into coherence. After a season that felt like a warning sign, the change in direction is both necessary and ambitious. Anfield expects an immediate response. Find all of the Premier League results and fixtures here
Andoni Iraola
Andoni Iraola arrives at Anfield with a coaching résumé built on clarity, intensity and overachievement. His managerial career began at Mirandés, where he led the club to a historic Copa del Rey semi‑final, before stepping into the top flight with Rayo Vallecano and turning them into one of La Liga’s most aggressive pressing sides. That identity travelled with him to Bournemouth, where he delivered a superb sixth‑place finish last season. That campaign was defined by high‑energy football, brave build‑up play and a squad transformed by his tactical demands. Across eight years in management, his win rate has hovered around 40% , but the real story is how consistently his teams punch above their weight.
At Liverpool, Iraola inherits a squad in transition but one perfectly suited to his principles. Expect a 4‑2‑3‑1 built on coordinated pressing, quick vertical transitions and full‑backs pushing high to stretch the pitch. His football is front‑foot, demanding and reliant on collective movement. It’s a style that should suit Szoboszlai’s creativity, Mac Allister’s intelligence and the athleticism of Frimpong and Kerkez. The big question is how he unlocks Florian Wirtz, whose versatility can be a weapon if Iraola finds him a settled role. After last season’s drift, Liverpool are banking on Iraola’s clarity and intensity to snap the squad back into rhythm and restore the identity that slipped away under Slot.
Players Out
Mo Salah (Trabzonspor, free)
Ibrahima Konate (Real Madrid, free)
Andy Robertson (Tottenham Hotspur, free)
Players In
Jeremy Jacquet (Rennes, £55 million)
Victor Munoz (Osasuna, £35 million)
Liverpool’s summer has been defined by major departures and a deliberate shift toward rebuilding the squad’s core. The headline exits were seismic. Mo Salah, Andy Robertson, and Ibrahima Konaté all left on free transfers, stripping away experience, leadership, and two long‑term pillars of the club’s identity. Slot’s sacking accelerated the reset, and Andoni Iraola has moved quickly to reshape the spine with younger, more dynamic profiles. Jérémy Jacquet arrived from Rennes to bolster the defence , Víctor Muñoz adds energy and ball‑winning, and the club have doubled down on youth development with several academy promotions baked into the first‑team plan.
The biggest internal shift, though, is the squad being built around Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, both of whom Liverpool expect to be central under Iraola’s high‑energy system. With Frimpong and Kerkez offering pace and width, and Szoboszlai positioned to thrive as the creative hub, Liverpool’s window feels less like a splash and more like a structural reset. Replacing ageing stars with players who fit Iraola’s intensity and long‑term vision is key.
Liverpool Premier League Odds
Premier League Winners 5/1
Top 4 Finish -220
Top 6 Finish -500
Top Half Finish -2500
Bottom Half Finish 16/1
To be Relegated 750/1
Strengths
Liverpool still possess a squad worth a fortune and, crucially, the potential to play like it. Even after losing Salah, Robertson, and Konaté, the depth of talent remains staggering. Wirtz, Isak, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, and Frimpong form a core that most clubs would envy. Jérémy Jacquet adds composure and athleticism to a defence that needed fresh legs.
The biggest strength, though, might be Andoni Iraola himself. His track record of elevating squads through structure and intensity fits perfectly with Liverpool’s DNA. The pressing game should return, transitions will be sharper, and the tactical clarity that faded under Slot could be restored. With Anfield still capable of generating momentum and a manager who thrives on energy and cohesion, Liverpool’s ceiling remains high. They are a side that, if it clicks early, could rejoin the title conversation faster than expected.
Weaknesses
There’s a lot of uncertainty baked into this version of Liverpool. The manager is new, the signings are untested at this level, and the club has lost a trio of leaders in Salah, Konaté, and Robertson. Their influence went far beyond their on‑pitch output. It’s a strange mix of evolution and erosion, the squad looks fresher, but the dressing room feels lighter on experience.
The other concern is decline among the old guard. Virgil van Dijk remains a towering presence but no longer the flawless anchor he once was. Mac Allister has plateaued after a bright start. If the new arrivals don’t settle quickly, Liverpool could find themselves leaning too heavily on players whose peak years are behind them. The talent is still there, but the balance — between youth, leadership, and reliability is fragile. They have two strikers that are made out of lolly sticks.
Summary and Picks
Prediction: 4th place – 72 points
Even if Liverpool underwhelm again, I like Iraola and their floor remains high. They have an enormous amount of very expensive footballers, so something should stick. The price for a top 4 finish is too short, but I do think that they have enough to finish above Manchester United.
Liverpool finish above Manchester United -125
Liverpool to win 0 Major Trophies -138
