Liverpool 2024/25 season review and player ratings: Salah and Gravenberch 9, Alexander-Arnold 8
Season synopsis
Premier League final position: First
Uefa Champions League: Last 16
FA Cup: Fourth round
League Cup: Final, beaten 1-0 by Newcastle United
Of all the outcomes predicted for the first year of Arne Slot's reign at Anfield, winning the Premier League was well down the list.
Succeeding Jurgen Klopp was viewed as challenge enough and, allowing for the transition, a top-four finish was deemed eminently acceptable.
Fast forward to the end of April and Liverpool had the Premier League title wrapped up with four games to go after a 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham.
The foundations of Slot's quiet Anfield revolution has been grounded in intelligence, humility and devotion to a clarity of purpose. Mohamed Salah's sublime form went some way, too.
Liverpool were the model of consistency under the level-headed Slot. They barely missed a beat in losing just one league game, at home to Nottingham Forest, before April with their early season parsimonious defence marshalled by a back-to-his best Virgil van Dijk.
Others made more than noteworthy contributions, and the reinvention of Ryan Gravenberch may prove to be Slot's lasting legacy.
The awful scenes that marred Liverpool's title celebrations, when a driver rammed his car into a packed crowd, injuring 27, will hopefully not take too much gloss of what was an excellent season.
Best performance of the season
Arsenal 2 Liverpool 2: Liverpool were well into their stride by the time they travelled to North London in late October, but Arsenal had designs of their own on the Premier League title.
The Gunners twice led through Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino but equalisers from Van Dijk and then Salah ensured a valuable point and preserved a vital lead at the summit. It was the type of gritty result upon which titles are won.
Worst performance of the season
Newcastle 2 Liverpool 1: Slot hardly put a foot wrong in his debut season in England, but his decision to persist with zonal marking in March's League Cup final was painful to watch.
Alexis Mac Allister – all 1.76 metres of him – was given the unenviable task of man-marking Dan Burn, Newcastle's giant 2.01m-tall centre-back, at set pieces and, to put it bluntly, just didn't measure up.
Time and again Newcastle targeted their giant captain. Time and again Burn won the aerial duels uncontested. The only surprise was that it took until the 45th minute for Burn to score.
Thriller of the season
Tottenham 3 Liverpool 6: Liverpool handed out a merciless thrashing to Tottenham Hotspur in front of their own fans in late December.
Liverpool had already had several opportunities before Luis Diaz headed in after 23 minutes, Mac Allister doubling their lead with another header 13 minutes later.
James Maddison gave Spurs hope of an unlikely comeback when he curled home before half time, but that was snuffed out in first-half stoppage time when Salah set up Dominik Szoboszlai for a simple finish.
Salah drew level with Billy Liddell's record of 228 Liverpool goals when he extended Liverpool's advantage from close range after 54 minutes, then went into fourth place in the club's all-time list of scorers on his own when Szoboszlai repaid the first-half compliment to play the Egyptian in for his second.
Dejan Kulusevski scored for the fifth successive game with 18 minutes left, while another from Dominic Solanke threatened to give the scoreline an unrealistic appearance until Diaz swooped for his second and Liverpool's sixth.
Player of the season
Mohamed Salah: For a significant chunk of 2024/25, Salah was quite simply the best player on the planet. His numbers are always worth highlighting: 29 Premier League goals, 18 assists (34 and 23 in 52 appearances across competitions).
It wasn't that Salah was imperial; he was unplayable. Few left-backs will have had a good night's sleep before or after facing the Egyptian, and if he doesn't go on to win the Ballon d'Or this year, then he never will.
No doubt there was some gamesmanship on his part during protracted contract negotiations, but Liverpool blinked first and Salah got what he wanted. After this season, it's hard to argue against it.
Goal of the season
You can take your pick from a plethora of Salah strikes, with the Egyptian's trademark cut in from the right and curl into the top corner with his left a feature throughout the campaign.
But for sheer brute force and strength of will, it has to be Mac Allister's long-range strike in a losing effort to Fulham. The Argentine picked up the ball 10 yards inside Fulham's half, held off one challenge before unleashing an unstoppable drive that sailed straight into the top corner.
Ratings
All marks out of 10.
Manager
Arne Slot – 9.5
An incredible first season ended with a Premier League title, securing Salah's future, and ensuring Klopp's name is consigned to the Anfield annals of history.
Goalkeepers
Alisson Becker – 8
Hailed as the best goalkeeper in the world by his manager. Liverpool's last line of defence is Mr Reliable, although the Brazilian missed several games through injury.
Caoimhin Kelleher – 8
Is there a better back-up goalkeeper in England? The Irishman would walk into most teams, but appears content to bide his time behind Alisson.
Defenders
Joe Gomez – 6
Some assured displays before injury curtailed his season.
Virgil van Dijk – 9
The most dominant defender in the division. The Dutchman was back to his bulldozing best and was rewarded with a new two-year contract.
Ibrahima Konate – 7.5
There are few better than Van Dijk to do your apprenticeship under. The Frenchman is physically imposing but lacks his partner's ability to read the game. Still young and will improve.
Jarell Quansah – 5
Was brought off at half time in Slot's first game of the season at Ipswich which seemed to knock his confidence. Failed to convince when called upon.
Andy Robertson – 7
Some fans believe the Scotland international is past his best. While he may not be the marauder of old, Robertson exemplifies the controlled intensity that was a feature of Slot's Liverpool this term.
Kostas Tsimikas – 6
Another season in which he was forced to play understudy to Robertson at left-back. The Greek was steady if unspectacular.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 8
Signed off his career at Liverpool with a second Premier League title. It's easy to forget just how good he was in the early part of the season. His passing range is nonpareil and the jeers from the Anfield faithful over his impending departure smacked of bitterness at losing such an incredible player.
Conor Bradley – 7.5
A different player to Alexander-Arnold but adds more defensive stability at right-back and doesn't lack for adventure on forays forward.
Midfielders
Wataru Endo – 7
The most used substitute in the squad but usually only introduced to wind down the clock. The Japanese has one of the highest pass completion rates per minutes in the Premier League. Underrated.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 8
Six league goals doesn't really tell the story of the Hungarian's contribution to the Reds' title-winning campaign. Instrumental to Liverpool's attacking play and his versatility is a real asset.
Alexis Mac Allister – 8.5
Save for a horror show in the League Cup final, the Argentina international established himself as the team's midfield metronome.
Curtis Jones – 7
His best season since breaking into the first team. The England international still hasn't nailed down a regular position but shone when asked to play in a No 10 role.
Harvey Elliott – 6
Working his way back from injury but never more than a back-up player. Did score in the draw against PSG in the Uefa Champions League last-16 first leg.
Ryan Gravenberch – 9
The most improved player in the Premier League by some distance. Underused by Klopp, the Dutchman became the lynchpin of Slot's team. A superb athlete who has made the holding position his own.
Forwards
Luis Diaz – 7
Offers attacking impetus down Liverpool's left channel. The Colombian had his best goal return (17 across competitions) since joining from Porto in 2022.
Mohamed Salah – 9
Where do you start? Ended the season as the league's top scorer, assist maker and best player. And all against the backdrop of his contract saga. Tailed off by season's end, but the Egyptian's form up till April was simply sensational.
Darwin Nunez – 6
Loved and appreciated for his tireless work ethic but the brutal fact remains that the Uruguayan is not the elite centre-forward the club covets.
Federico Chiesa – 5
Signed from Juventus last summer, the Italian's adjustment to life on Merseyside has been hampered by injuries and the blistering form of Salah and Diaz.
Cody Gakpo – 8
Found his feet playing under Slot. Has a more settled position at the tip of Liverpool's attack and repaid that faith with 18 goals across competitions.
Diogo Jota – 7
Found it hard to dislodge Gakpo after returning from injury midway through the season. Still has plenty to offer.
The National's Premier League team of the season
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