When Was the Last Time Liverpool Lost 20 Games in a Season?

Liverpool’s campaign has been littered with embarrassing defeats.

A dreadful season has brought frequent defeats for the Reds. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

A season of dizzying lows nosedived even further last Friday as Liverpool were torn to pieces by Aston Villa on their travels.

A fixture in which Liverpool could have qualified for the Champions League ended in a bruising 4–2 defeat that ultimately flattered the Reds, piling even more pressure on under-fire Arne Slot as the crisis deepens.

Unfortunately for the Dutchman, Liverpool matched an unwanted record at Villa Park. Their 20th defeat across all competitions was only the second time they have stooped to such a dismal return in the Premier League era.

In more bad news, there is still one more chance for Liverpool to surpass the previous record—which had stood for over three decades—when they face Brentford in their Premier League finale this weekend.

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The Last Time Liverpool Lost 20 Matches in a Season

Graeme Souness oversaw 20 defeats in the 1992–93 season. | Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images

The clock must be rewound to 1992–93 for the last time Liverpool lost 20 matches in all competitions across a single campaign. Graeme Souness was the club’s head coach for what was a disastrous inaugural Premier League season for the Reds.

Things kicked off in similar fashion to the current campaign, defeat in the Community Shield marking the beginning of what was to come. Liverpool’s chaotic 4–3 loss to Leeds United at Wembley was a warning sign.

Liverpool finished sixth in the Premier League in 1992–93, while also making early exits from both domestic cup competitions. An unsuccessful European Cup Winners’ Cup campaign ended at the second round, too.

Matching such a dismal record underscores just how appalling Liverpool’s second season under Slot has been, and things could yet get worse. A 21st defeat of the season is on the cards when Brentford, who have already beaten the Reds this term, come to town on Sunday.

If Liverpool are defeated by the Bees, it will be the first time since the 1953–54 campaign that they have lost more than 20 matches in a term. The Reds lost 24 of their 43 games during that particular season, all before the inception of organized European competition.

It remains to be seen whether Slot will survive such a turbulent campaign, although current indicators point to Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group keeping him in place for the beginning of the 2026–27 campaign at least—a decision that the majority of supporters are unhappy about.

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Liverpool’s Record in 2025–26 vs. 1992–93

2025–26	Statistic	1992–93
56	Matches	55
28	Wins	20
8	Draws	15
20	Defeats	20
102	Goals Scored	90
80	Goals Conceded	79
+22	Goal Difference	+11

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