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Liverpool sacked head coach Arne Slot on Saturday after a disastrous defence of their Premier League title.

The club, which finished fifth in the table, despite spending a Premier League record of nearly £450 million ($605 million) on new players in one transfer window last year, said the Dutchman, who has been at Anfield for two seasons, would “depart his role as head coach with immediate effect”.

Liverpool fans turned on Slot after a number of poor performances, and there was some disharmony in the dressing room, with Mohamed Salah the most outspoken.

Outgoing Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is reportedly set to take over at Anfield after leading the Cherries into Europe for the first time in the club’s history.

Bournemouth’s Spanish manager Andoni Iraola celebrates with Bournemouth’s English midfielder #04 Lewis Cook on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on January 24, 2026.

Just over a year ago, Slot was heralded as a hero after taking on the daunting role of succeeding Jurgen Klopp and leading Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title in his debut season in charge.

There was also a sign of dressing room disharmony, most notably from Mohamed Salah on his way out of the club.

In an explosive social media post earlier this month, which was liked by multiple members of the Liverpool squad, Salah called for a return to “heavy metal football,” referring to Klopp’s high-energy style of play, in a perceived dig at Slot’s more cautious approach.

Liverpool’s return of 60 points was their lowest since the 2015/16 season.

Despite their troubles, it had been reported that Slot would be handed a stay of execution after securing Champions League qualification.

“Liverpool FC can confirm Arne Slot is to depart his role as head coach with immediate effect and that the process to appoint a successor is underway,” the club said in a statement.

It added that club bosses had decided that Liverpool needed a change of direction.

“That does not diminish the work Arne has done here, or the respect we have for him,” the statement added.

“Nor is it a reflection of his talents. Rather, it is indicative of the need for a different approach.

“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.”

‘Different Approach’

However, the club’s owners, the American-based Fenway Sports Group, have succumbed to fan pressure to axe the former Feyenoord boss.

“We have collectively come to the conclusion that change is necessary in order for the club to keep moving forward. Again, it must be stressed that this is not a decision which has been reached lightly, anything but,” the club said in a statement.

Many fans were keen for the return of Xabi Alonso to Anfield, but the club’s former midfielder will instead take charge of Chelsea next season.

Iraola’s stock is high after an 18-game unbeaten league run to finish the campaign in sixth, just three points behind Liverpool despite vastly inferior resources.

The Spaniard also worked together with Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, who previously held a similar role at Bournemouth.

Slot ultimately paid for failing to get a return on Liverpool’s huge investment last summer.

British transfer record signing Alexander Isak was beset by fitness problems, while Florian Wirtz struggled with the transition to the Premier League after a £100 million move from Bayer Leverkusen.

Slot, though, also had to deal with emotional turmoil caused by the death of forward Diogo Jota in a car accident in July.

AFP

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Arsenal fans worldwide were dumb founded as Paris Saint Germain after trailing behind till the 69th minute secured a penalty.

The match ended 4-3 in favour of the defending champions.

Earlier in the first stanza, Aresenal in the sixth scored the first goal that the gunners held unto the Ousmane Dembele netted the penalty.

Thereafter the match went the full length of ninety minutes and the extra time of the 30minutes but both sides could not hit the back of the net.

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Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain clash with Arsenal in Saturday’s final in Budapest aiming to defend their crown.

The Gunners have never won the trophy but after clinching the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years Mikel Arteta’s side believe they can dethrone the French champions.

AFP Sport looks at five key talking points ahead of the clash at the Puskas Arena.
Arsenal’s set-piece threat
This season Arteta’s team have sometimes struggled to create from open play, but they have produced incredible danger from dead ball situations.

Arsenal’s physical players cause havoc at corners, particularly centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, and they will look to put PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov under heavy pressure, perhaps their weakest link.
Set piece coach Nicolas Jover is considered the best in the business and nearly 40 percent of Arsenal’s goals in their run to the Premier League title came from dead ball situations.

“People may say that they don’t score team goals, but who cares about that?” said PSG coach Luis Enrique, acknowledging Arsenal’s effective tactics. “Ask any Arsenal fan and I’m sure they’re delighted.”

PSG’s strong left flank
Arsenal are boosted by Jurrien Timber’s return to fitness after a groin injury, particularly given the biggest problem for Arteta to solve is how to handle PSG’s left flank.

Winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has arguably been the competition’s best player, scoring 10 goals for the French side, and behind him at left-back Nuno Mendes is a dynamic force going forward.
Arteta must decide whether to put Timber straight into the line-up after two-and-a-half months out, or if he will deploy centre-back Cristhian Mosquera on the right.

Declan Rice has also been used there in Timber’s absence but the midfielder will be vital in the centre of the pitch up against PSG’s Vitinha.

Mileage check
Many of Arsenal’s likely starting line-up in the final have played over 3,000 minutes each this season across all competitions, with Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel, Martin Zubimendi and David Raya hitting 4,000.
Arteta has stayed faithful to a core of players and insisted his team should not use fatigue as an “excuse”.

“That’s the context and that’s the scenario, and we have to embrace it and especially enjoy the opportunity,” said the Spanish coach last month, in the thick of the title race.
By contrast, Luis Enrique has been able to rotate and rest many of his first choice players in Ligue 1 as PSG claimed their 12th title in the last 14 years.

Only Willian Pacho, Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery have more than 3,000 minutes banked this season.

“Rest is also an integral part of preparation, especially when we’re playing matches like these,” said Luis Enrique before the final.

PSG did compete at the Club World Cup last summer though, increasing the need for the Asturian coach to balance his players’ game-time.

Clean sheet machine
The statistics of both sides lead many to imagine the final will turn out to be a question of whether the ‘unstoppable force’ of PSG can break down Arsenal’s ‘immovable object’.
Arsenal have conceded just six goals in the tournament, staying unbeaten, and goalkeeper David Raya has nine clean sheets, matching the all-time record.
In front of him Gabriel and William Saliba form a formidable centre-back pairing for Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele to try and break through, amply supported by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue.
PSG have scored 44 goals in the tournament, one short of the record of 45 set by Barcelona in the 1999-2000 campaign.

A Luis Enrique surprise
PSG outgunned Bayern Munich with a thrilling 5-4 victory in the first leg of the semi-final clash, leaving the world licking their lips and waiting for more entertainment from the second leg.
However wily coach Luis Enrique changed his gameplan considerably and PSG played far more conservatively in Munich, securing a 1-1 draw to reach the final.

Always keen to spring a surprise on his opponents, Luis Enrique said the Ligue 1 champions would adapt their game to face Arsenal.
“We’ll have to adapt to play and defend in a different way compared to what we usually do if we want to get the better of them,” said Luis Enrique.

Goalkeeper Safonov blasted the ball off the pitch several times, as a strategy to congest the areas around dangerous Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise.
“We have analysed everything they do in every phase,” said Arteta.

“We’ve prepared the possible scenarios. We try to understand the purpose behind what they do and what they want to achieve.”