Stick or twist for Arteta - keep to the formula or refine Arsenal style?

Arsenal are fresh from Champions League final heartbreak but there is no time to wallow.

Sunday’s Premier League title celebrations in north London may have refocused minds on next season’s missions, when they will aim to stay at the top of the English game and go a step further in Europe.

Defeat by Paris St-Germain in Budapest on Saturday night came only on penalties, but Arsenal’s limitations against opposition of the highest class were evident before the spot-kicks.

The Gunners had less than 25% of possession, and Kai Havertz’s early opening goal was their only shot on target in 120 minutes of football.

After the game, PSG midfielder Joao Neves said Luis Enrique’s side had been “the only one who wanted to play”.

Former Arsenal defender and Premier League winner Matthew Upson told BBC Sport that Havertz’s early goal killed the game in one sense.

“Had it been 0-0 throughout the first half, I think you might have seen a slight difference in Arsenal, but once you get that goal naturally you just slightly slip into protection mode,” Upson said.

“Every team does it and obviously PSG then dominated the ball, but the possession stats are pretty scary really for a final with two teams who are the best around. To have a 75-25% difference in possession is almost unheard of really in a Champions League final.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta described PSG as “the best team in the world”.

He said it was their prowess that dictated Arsenal’s style.

He also hinted that his side could look to emulate the French side’s style of play in the future.

“What they are able to do with the ball, with individual actions, I haven’t seen it,” Arteta said.

“It’s not the plan to play in certain areas when you don’t have the ball, but they force you to do that.”

So does the Spaniard need to refine his style for next season to push Arsenal to the next level, build up their possession numbers, and keep challengers at bay?

Or will we see more of the same Premier League title-winning formula from the Gunners?

PSG played 885 passes during the final, more than three times the 285 Arsenal managed.

After Havertz’s early opener, the Gunners defended deep to protect the lead with their world-class backline keeping them in the game.

Despite winning a first Premier League title in 22 years, Arsenal have been criticised for their style of play throughout the season because of their threat from set-pieces and a perception they lack creativity from open play.

The number of wins by single-goal margins over the campaign also drew attention, although it is worth noting Arsenal took the title by seven points from Manchester City and with a league-leading goal difference.

Upson believes that when pressure ramped up in the run-in, Arteta reverted to a more conservative style.

“If you looked at the performances from August to December, I think you see a different Arsenal team,” Upson said. “He notably switched to more of this type of style from January onwards.

“It’s become really notable. I cast my mind back to the games in September or October and it was slightly different football, much more possession-based. Those buzzy little triangles between Saka, Odegaard, Rice, and whoever the full-back was on the edge of the 18-yard box was really good, entertaining football to watch and they were trying to control the game in that sense.

“As time has gone on and maybe the pressure has built, they have fallen back on the reliable side. It’s worked and it’s been the right choice because they have won the Premier League.”

Across all competitions, Arsenal won 20 games by a single-goal margin.

Arteta has spent more than £900m on signings since taking over as Arsenal manager in 2019. Although he has transformed the club from where he found it, some have questioned whether Arsenal should be playing a more attractive brand of football by now.

With his side having got over the psychological block of winning the Premier League title, now could be an ideal time for Arteta to make a style switch, even if adjusting a winning formula brings with it the element of a gamble.

Defeat by PSG brought about Arsenal’s second moment of misery in a major final this season after the Gunners lost to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup at Wembley in March, with Arsenal only having 38% possession on that occasion.

Arteta’s team were the second highest scorers in the Premier League with 71 goals, only behind runners-up City who scored 77.

Taking all competitions into account, Arsenal scored 76 open-play goals across the season. Some 22 of their 30 goals in the Champions League came from open play.

But Arsenal only scored more than one goal in two of their final 14 games in the campaign.

Arteta perhaps gave a hint about what he may need to do this summer for Arsenal to become both more easy on the eye and capable of lifting Europe’s top club trophy.

“We need to do better, we have to improve and find different margins to get the outcome that we want,” he said.

Arteta has turned Arsenal from ‘nearly men’ to English champions, a major step that could be followed by moves to change the approach in attacking areas.

“He alluded to that after,” Upson told BBC Sport when asked if a forward line change is needed.

“His comments were more based around ‘we need to be a little bit more PSG-like’ - and I understand that. That’s difficult to achieve with the structure that he’s got in place, but you can certainly tweak that because ultimately it’s a numbers game.

“If you only have the ball for 25% of the game, you’re going to be defending a lot.”

David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Declan Rice have been Arsenal’s standout players this season, which shows that the Gunners’ excellence has been in their backline and defensive areas.

No Arsenal forwards were included among nominees for the Premier League’s Player of the Season award.

Arsenal have monitored Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, who has Premier League experience from his time at Manchester City.

Even though Viktor Gyokeres scored 21 goals in all competitions in his first season with Arsenal, that could be an area that can be strengthened.

Arsenal are also looking to strengthen on the left wing, and Arteta said that he and the club will “start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level”.

There will be an examination of whether Arteta’s current group of forwards are capable of adapting style. Some are eminently capable.

“I think [Bukayo] Saka will be in that bracket,” Upson said. “[Leandro] Trossard is very good with the ball. Technically he’s an excellent player.”

Upson also pointed to the full-back roles, and how attacks can be launched from those positions.

“I saw that last night with the PSG team, how important the full-backs are in how they’re willing to go the other way and be real catalysts for those attacks,” Upson said.

“So I think that’s another interesting feature, but I think they’ve got the players [at Arsenal]. I think they’ve got really good technical players, top level players with the ball.”

Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan on their way to the Champions League final.

It was a terrific feat and to take PSG to penalties was commendable, but Upson believes the Gunners need to show more on the ball if they are end their wait for Champions League glory.

“Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, PSG - you’re going to come up against two or three of these throughout the tournament in the need to win it,” Upson said.

“That’s going to be difficult over two legs if you’re not going to have a little bit more possession. For me, that could be a feature that you see from Arsenal next season.”

Arsenal 'pain' will fuel fire after Champions League heartbreak

That was the first word out of Mikel Arteta’s mouth in his post-match news conference when asked how he would sum up the Champions League final defeat to Paris St-Germain in Budapest.

On Sunday, Arsenal will get on an open-top bus parade to celebrate their Premier League title, less than 24 hours after their final heartbreak.

The Gunners, who were unbeaten in the Champions League this season heading into Saturday’s final, missed out on becoming European invincibles with their penalty shootout defeat.

Arsenal are hurting but they will fly back from Hungary early on Sunday before joining their fans to celebrate a season to be proud of.

Before the game manager Arteta said he wanted to use the Premier League success as a platform to reach bigger destinations and to aim for more silverware.

But unfortunately, his side fell at the final hurdle in their pursuit of a first European trophy, in their first final in the competition since 2006.

Arsenal produced a battling display but lacked attacking quality as PSG dominated with 75% possession and eventually won on penalties as centre-back Gabriel skied his penalty in the shootout.

The Gunners have still had an excellent season, winning the Premier League for the first time in 22 years, but could the manner of the defeat be what pushes Arsenal on next season?

The Arsenal manager and players understandably looked dejected at the full-time whistle.

“It is very tough to accept when you are so consistent all the way to the final and in the end you lose the trophy on penalties,” Arteta said, before mentioning the decision not to give Arsenal a penalty in the second half when Noni Madueke tangled with Nuno Mendes.

“I watched all the penalties in the competition in the last 72 hours to understand what a penalty is and what is not, and that easily can be a penalty,” said the Spaniard.

“But it is if, if, if. It is not what happened.”

“We need to do better, we have to improve and find different margins to get the outcome that we want.”

Arteta has already turned his mind to next season and helping Arsenal return to this stage.

“First of all I will take a few days with my family and they will start the process to review what we’ve done,” he said.

“We’ll start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level.”

“And we’re going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but it’s going to demand us to be very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”

Arsenal spent around £250m in last summer’s transfer window and they look set to invest again, with a midfielder, left winger and striker all targets this summer.

“They are 100% not going away,” Nedum Onouha told BBC Sport.

“They have shown this season and last season that they are good enough to go deep in the Champions League.”

“Even though they have lost they are still one of the best teams in Europe.”

Arsenal have played the most games in European Cup/Champions League history without winning the trophy (226).

Arsenal will celebrate their Premier League title win on Sunday in front of their supporters in north London.

“If you’d offered them at the start of the season - that they would win the Premier League title and lose the Champions League final by a penalty kick, then it is not a bad season, it is a great season and I mean a really great season,” Pat Nevin told BBC Sport.

“Let’s remember they have lost tonight but they are the Premier League winners,” Onouha added.

“They have got their parade to look forward to and I don’t think there will be any fewer people turning up tomorrow just because they have lost the Champions League final.”

“I think the club is in a great position, the manager has been there for many years now and he has a bunch of players who are still very very hungry, even though they have been successful.”

The review of the Arsenal squad will come in the summer but this team has progressed so much from the one that Arteta took over in 2019.

Bukayo Saka is the last player left from that squad and Arteta said it has been a “joy” to share this season with his players and staff.

Arsenal have looked at how they could generate money in the coming transfer window by potential player sales.

There is also a group of exciting youngsters, including 19-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly - who started in Budapest - Ethan Nwaneri, 19, and 16-year-olds Max Dowman and Marli Salmon who could emerge as first-team regulars in the coming seasons.

“It is cruel for Arsenal fans, but it is inevitable that this club win the Champions League,” European football expert Julien Laurens said on 5 Live.

“Mikel Arteta will see the positives because that is the kind of guy he is. Arsenal are getting closer and closer.”

And for Arteta, despite the pain, says he is ready to celebrate what has been a big step for his Arsenal side.

“I already know how they [the fans] feel about the team. I want to thank them for everything they’ve done for us throughout the season.”

“Difficult moments like this, they’ve been with us. It’s been a joy to see the reaction they’ve had when we’ve been able to win a league after 22 years.”

“It hurts a lot for them not to win it today because I can’t even imagine what would have happened.”

“We all had a huge desire to win it and tomorrow we’ll have a great day, I’m sure.”

'He wanted to take it' - Gabriel's first Arsenal penalty ends with heartbreak

The defining image of Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat was Gabriel standing with his head in his hands as he was consoled by Paris St-Germain captain and Brazil team-mate Marquinhos.

It was a cruel end to the defender’s first European final. His penalty, blasted over the crossbar, proved decisive as the Gunners suffered shootout heartbreak and PSG successfully defended their title.

For a player who has so often been Arsenal’s difference-maker this season, it was not the contribution he would have envisaged before the club’s first Champions League final since 2006.

It was the first penalty Gabriel had taken for Arsenal, with manager Mikel Arteta revealing the defender had “prepared and trained for this moment”.

“He wanted to take it,” Arteta said. “Normally the penalty takers would be Bukayo [Saka], Martin [Odegaard] and Kai [Havertz]. But we knew if the game went to extra-time and penalties, different players would have to step forward.”

It was a painful way for one of Arsenal’s standout performers of the season to bring his campaign to a close.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Arsenal defender Matt Upson called it “one of those John Terry moments”, referring to the 2008 Champions League final when the Chelsea captain had the chance to win the final in a shootout, but slipped as he struck the ball, which hit the post as Manchester United went on to claim the title.

It was a night that began so brightly for Arsenal.

When Kai Havertz smashed the ball high into the roof of the net over Matvey Safonov inside six minutes, their supporters were in dreamland at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.

And despite dominating possession, PSG were unable to fashion many clear chances for their feared front three of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue, with Arsenal’s defence largely keeping them under control.

At the heart of that was Gabriel. The defender made more clearances than any other player on the pitch (13) as the Gunners chased the rare feat of a Premier League and Champions League double - achieved only by Manchester United (1999 and 2008) and Manchester City (2023) since 1992.

But after Dembele equalised from the penalty spot, the contest became a must-not-lose affair for both sides, with neither keeper seriously tested as the tension rose in Hungary and the game drifted towards a shootout.

There was an early advantage for PSG when Eberechi Eze stroked his penalty wide after a stuttering run up, but Gunners keeper David Raya responded by saving Nuno Mendes’ effort.

However, after four successful kicks, there would be no reprieve for Gabriel who fired his penalty over the crossbar and into the delirious PSG fans.

“To miss a penalty in a Champions League final, obviously it’s not nice,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said on TNT Sports.

“But we love them and we’re with them. It happens in football. They’re not going to be the last players to miss penalties in finals.

“Everyone has missed a penalty and without those two this season we wouldn’t have won the Premier League, that’s for sure.

“Gabriel, I’ve run out of words for him as a person and as a player. Eze has scored some crucial goals for us this season.

“It happens. It’s football and it’s cruel. We take the positives and keep going.”

The sight of Gabriel wiping away tears as PSG’s players celebrated with the trophy will be one that lingers long in the memory of Arsenal supporters.

The Brazilian, one of Mikel Arteta’s first signings after taking charge in December 2019, has been a driving force behind the club’s rise back to the summit of English football and their Premier League title triumph this season.

He started 48 of Arsenal’s 63 matches across all competitions and contributed nine goals and assists - more than both Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus.

While rival fans may focus on his miss in Budapest, Arsenal supporters will remember the countless occasions he delivered for his side, including a dramatic 96th-minute winner against Newcastle United in September.

“I’ve just listened to Declan Rice talking about how he has run out of words to describe Gabriel because he has been so important and so good for Arsenal all season, and over the past few years as well,” former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha told BBC Sport.

“So for him to be the one who misses the penalty that costs them the Champions League final is heartbreaking.

“But I think everyone will rally around him because Arsenal would not have won the Premier League without him. He has been invaluable and, quite rightly, is in the conversation for PFA Player of the Year.

“The pressure is always there in a shootout. You can practice penalties in training, but in a Champions League final you can never truly prepare for that moment. Unfortunately, he has experienced what every player dreads - missing the penalty that decides a final.”

Former England defender Upson added: “It’s one of those moments that will be remembered for years, a cruel blow for a player who has been a tower of strength for Arsenal.

“Gabriel gave everything for his team. He showed the mentality and courage to step forward and take responsibility, which is all you can ask of any player.

“It is desperately sad for him, but he strikes me as someone who will recover quickly and use it as motivation. He still has a huge summer ahead with Brazil.”

For one night, Gabriel was the face of Arsenal’s heartbreak. It should not detract from the fact he was also one of the main reasons they got there in the first place.

Liverpool sack head coach Slot and approach Iraola

Head coach Arne Slot has been sacked by Liverpool after two seasons in charge.

The Dutchman, 47, guided the Reds to their 20th league title in his debut season but they have struggled during his second year, finishing fifth in the Premier League.

Recently departed Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is the leading contender to replace Slot.

The club have approached the Spaniard to discuss the role.

Despite still qualifying for next season’s Champions League, Liverpool finished with 60 points - their lowest tally since the 2015-16 campaign and 25 points behind champions Arsenal.

“That this was a difficult decision for us to make as a club goes without saying. The contribution Arne has made to Liverpool FC in the time that he has been with us has been significant, meaningful and - most importantly of all to supporters and ourselves - successful,” Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) said in a statement.

“As such, our appreciation for everything he has achieved could not be greater, particularly as it was underpinned by a work ethic, a diligence and a level of expertise which further underlined our view that he is a leader in his field.

“From the moment that we first encountered Arne, it was immediately clear that he is an individual who does not merely accept responsibility, he embraces it.”

Liverpool had insisted that a change of head coach was not on the agenda, but after assessing the situation following the end of the season last weekend, the club’s hierarchy believe the next phase requires a more front-foot, aggressive and urgent style of football.

The decision to sack Slot was made by Michael Edwards, FSG’s chief executive, and Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s sporting director.

Iraola, 43, is one of the most highly-rated coaches in Europe and is known for his attacking style of play.

He was appointed at Bournemouth when Hughes was technical director at the Cherries, a role he left in 2024 to join the Reds.

Bournemouth finished only one place and three points behind Liverpool to qualify for next season’s Europa League.

Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss in 2024 after the German stepped down at Anfield after nine years as manager.

Earlier this month, forward Mohamed Salah said the club must return to being a “heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear” after “crumbling” to a defeat at Aston Villa.

Much of Liverpool’s success under Klopp - where they won every major trophy - came through this style of play.

“The conclusion we have come to is built on a belief that the team’s trajectory is best addressed through a change of direction. That does not diminish the work Arne has done here, or the respect we have for him. Nor is it a reflection of his talents. Rather, it is indicative of the need for a different approach,” the statement added.

“Arne leaves with our gratitude, with a Premier League title to his name, and with the knowledge that he and his family will always be welcomed back at Anfield.”

Slot’s backroom staff are also widely expected to leave, although there has been no announcement from the club on their positions yet.

Liverpool spent £415m last summer on six players - the highest outlay in a single window by a British club - in a bid to retain their title.

They broke the British transfer record to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle for a fee of £125m and also bought Bayer Leverkusen and Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz for a club record £116m.

In July, forward Diogo Jota died in a car crash - a player who featured regularly under Slot.

“We would like to take this opportunity to place on record our appreciation for Arne, who will always hold a special place in the history of this football club as the coach who delivered Liverpool’s 20th league title,” the statement added.

“That accomplishment - made all the more remarkable as it arrived in his very first season in charge - was built on outstanding coaching and leadership every single day.

“He also helped guide the club through one of the most difficult periods imaginable following the loss of Diogo. The compassion and humanity he showed throughout that time said a great deal about him as a person.

“As such, we can only wish Arne well in the next stage of his coaching career, with our expectation being that he will continue to be successful. We do so in the knowledge that his Liverpool legacy is intact and will become yet more meaningful in the years and decades to come.”

Slot sacking completes a remarkable fall from grace

Arne Slot was hailed as the perfect successor to charismatic Jurgen Klopp after winning the Premier League in his first season.

Arne Slot’s sacking at Liverpool completes one of the most remarkable falls from grace of any Premier League title-winning manager.

Chelsea sacked three managers swiftly after the same success as Slot – but then owner Roman Abramovich’s unique demands made them a special case.

This is Liverpool, the supposed bastion of stability.

Carlo Ancelotti was sacked by Chelsea at the end of his second season in 2011 after winning the league and FA Cup double in his first. Jose Mourinho’s second spell at Stamford Bridge ended when he was axed in December 2015, seven months after winning the title, as they lay one point above the relegation zone.

Antonio Conte went the same way in July 2018 after winning the title in his first season then FA Cup in his second, while Leicester City dismissed Claudio Ranieri in February 2017 as they were only one point off the relegation places nine months after their remarkable Premier League triumph.

But none, arguably, have been shown the door from an earlier position of such strength as Slot – sacked a year after winning the title with ease in his first season in succession to Jurgen Klopp, then having his squad bolstered by a staggering £450m spending spree.

So why did it unravel for the Dutch head coach who many Liverpool fans initially regarded as the calm, transitional Bob Paisley figure to predecessor Klopp’s firebrand, charismatic Bill Shankly?

Slot’s seamless transition from the iconic Klopp saw the German’s squad – with only the addition of £10m Juventus forward Federico Chiesa – win the title by 10 points with four games to spare, losing only twice until the job was done with victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

So was Slot purely the beneficiary of taking over ready-made title winners then simply steering them to glory?

This would be incredibly harsh on Slot and his achievements.

Slot calmed understandable post-Klopp anxiety with his measured approach, but made key alterations that took away some of the thrilling chaos that preceded him to turn the title race into a procession.

Liverpool’s main transfer target on Slot’s appointment was Real Sociedad’s Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi, now at Arsenal.

With the deal almost done, Zubimendi decided to stay in La Liga, to the widespread angst of those Liverpool fans demanding big signings.

Slot blocked out the noise, turning to his countryman Ryan Gravenberch, something of an under-achiever under Klopp, to take the “number 6” role designated for Zubimendi.

It was a masterstroke, with Gravenberch outstanding as he provided the platform for a more organised Liverpool, not as exciting as under Klopp but cohesive, organised winners.

Slot also produced another key tactical move by using Luis Diaz, a gifted but occasionally erratic winger, as a striker. It was not the Colombian’s natural position but it suited him perfectly as he made many match-winning contributions.

He also won over Liverpool’s biggest names who had under-pinned the Klopp glories of winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and two League Cups.

Mohamed Salah had arguably his finest season as Liverpool’s squad bought into Slot’s methods as one - although this relationship turned to open hostility, at least on the Egyptian’s side, surfacing in two public outbursts, one in an interview and another on social media, that undermined the head coach.

Salah’s form fell off a cliff in previously unimaginable fashion before he announced this would be his final season at Liverpool after a magnificent career.

Yes, Slot inherited what Klopp described as Liverpool 2.0, but it was also a squad that had finished nine points off the title when the German left. The Dutchman changed that.

Slot was bequeathed quality, but he put his own stamp on it to make Liverpool title winners. To suggest otherwise is to downgrade his work unfairly.

Liverpool’s 20th title, equalling Manchester United, was a cause of rejoicing from their global fanbase. The summer was meant to be a time of celebration basking in that success.

Instead, it was a summer of tragedy.

The title parade around the city was predictably joyous, with red plumes of smoke engulfing the famous Liver Birds at the Pier Head.

Joy turned to horror as 54-year-old Paul Doyle crashed his car into supporters on nearby Water Street during the celebrations, injuring more than 130 people.

Doyle was jailed for 21 years and six months after pleading guilty to 31 charges, admitted dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent and three counts of wounding with intent.

And then, on 3 July, much-loved striker Diogo Jota, 28 was killed in a car crash, along with his 25-year-old brother Andre Silva, while driving in the Spanish province of Zamora.

Liverpool, as a club, city and fanbase, were heartbroken. Jota was hugely-popular as a team-mate and player, leaving those at Liverpool grief-stricken.

Jota’s song is sung in the 20th minute of every game – he wore number 20 – while Andrew Robertson referenced his close friend after Scotland qualified for the World Cup.

Only those at Liverpool know how much of an emotional toll this has taken as their grief has been mostly private, but it was a devastating occurrence and is still raw.

Most observers – including this one – believed Liverpool’s title was theirs to lose after one of the most spectacular summers of spending in Premier League history.

After keeping their powder dry following Slot’s arrival, a strategy rewarded with the title, Liverpool embarked on a remarkable spree.

This included £125m British record signing Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, £116m Germany golden boy Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, another £70m striker in Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as another £70m on full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong from Bournemouth and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.

Liverpool raked in more than £250m from sales of players such as striker Darwin Nunez to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal, Diaz to Bayern Munich and Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen.

Trent Alexander-Arnold left for Real Madrid at the end of his contract while, of course, the whole club and its support was devastated by Jota’s death.

Alexander-Arnold and Diaz, outstanding at Bayern, have been sorely missed.

Liverpool’s outlay, however, did not strengthen their squad. It made it worse, which takes some doing.

It left the squad mediocre and unbalanced as expensive new acquisitions spluttered or suffered injuries, while their recruitment team failed to deliver one of their most significant targets.

There are many questions around Slot’s transfer dealings, although owners Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes must also take responsibility.

Liverpool’s key pair of power brokers were showered with bouquets in the summer. Now they must take the brickbats.

How did such a splurge leave an unbalanced team?

Why did Liverpool not sign competition for Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo on the flanks?

Was enough thought given to how Wirtz would be utilised as Liverpool revelled in beating Manchester City to his signature?

Did they really need to spend £125m on Isak having spent £70m on Ekitike?

Were they too complacent in assuming Crystal Palace would just give up on Marc Guehi?

Liverpool appeared so committed to the Isak deal, the player so exiled at Newcastle after his one-man strike to get a move, that it felt like they could not turn away, even after signing Ekitike.

Did they really need Isak? The more you watched Liverpool before he broke a leg while scoring a goal in a victory at Tottenham Hotspur in December, the more he resembled the most expensive vanity purchase in Liverpool history.

Isak arrived unfit then got a groin injury. When he did play, at the expense of the one signing who was playing well at that point, Ekitike, he looked listless and off the pace, poor value for money at such an exorbitant fee.

The broken leg was another serious disruption for a player meant to provide Liverpool with a lethal spearhead. Even his return was interrupted by “minor” fitness issues.

Wirtz, whose deployment behind the strikers disrupted Liverpool’s midfield bedrock to leave them horribly vulnerable all season, has been shifted around from his central role to the flanks as Slot has sought answers. He has shown glimpses of real class but, like Liverpool, nowhere near enough.

And having collected new signings at such a rate, did it mean Slot and Liverpool pushed a key capture down their list of priorities then failed to get it done?

Crystal Palace captain and England defender Guehi was a top target, not merely as partner to Virgil van Dijk but as cover to Ibrahima Konate, whose contract is coming to an end.

Cue the perfect storm.

Palace refused to sell. Konate’s form went into sharp decline. Van Dijk suddenly looked fallible. A solution was lost as Quansah had been sold.

When January came, Manchester City needed defensive reinforcements and paid a bargain £20m for Guehi, £15m less than Liverpool belatedly agreed.

It was intriguing to hear Slot describe Guehi as a “great signing” after he was outstanding in Manchester City’s win at Anfield.

And through it all, Slot lost the golden touch that was so assured in his first season.

He changed formations and personnel without success. The substitutions that worked so well last season now whiffed off desperation – such as defender Konate for striker Ekitike after 55 minutes of the 3-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest – accompanied by some questionable post-match verdicts and talk of “positives” when there were none.

The season started with Liverpool looking gung-ho and wide open. Wins were secured through the high-wire act of last-gasp winners, but once Crystal Palace turned the tables with an injury time goal at Selhurst Park in September to inflict their first defeat, it all fell apart.

The precious gift of “20/20” hindsight is a wonderful thing.

It is easy to say now that Liverpool bowed to sentimentality by giving lucrative new two-year deals to captain Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, when to not do so at the time would have sparked fury among supporters.

Van Dijk had captained Liverpool to the title in imperious fashion, cementing his status among the Premier League’s finest defenders.

Salah, meanwhile, looked on a personal mission to return the title to Anfield, which he duly did, scoring 34 goals in 50 starts in all competitions.

The news of the deals, after much speculation, was greeted rapturously by Liverpool’s fans. The sight of Salah - “The Egyptian King” - marking the new deal by being photographed sitting on a throne at Anfield should have been an iconic image.

This season 34-year-old Van Dijk’s game has become error-strewn, the air of invincibility he carried gone as he has been regularly exposed, as proved by moments of panic-stricken defending previously out of character. He has started to look his age.

Salah, 33, lacked the pace and spark of previous years – although he will always have legendary status as a Liverpool great having scored 257 goals in 441 games since arriving from AS Roma in summer 2017.

He did, however, temporarily tarnish his standing with his infamous “thrown under the bus” outburst at Elland Road after he was left on the bench at Leeds United in December.

And Salah’s outpouring of angst after a 4-2 loss at Aston Villa did Slot no favours at all. It increased the noise around the Dutchman at a time when he needed it least.

It also carried all the hallmarks of a fading superstar shaking his fist at the skies after such a poor season for Liverpool and, we must not forget, Salah.

The new contracts for two ageing stars suddenly look very dubious – but this is easy to say now. Very little criticism came Slot or Liverpool’s way when they were paraded as a coup in the summer.

All this combined to produce a desperate situation Slot could not control as the damaging defeats piled up, leading to an inevitable conclusion.

Now, a year after being hailed a hero, Arne Slot is out of Anfield.