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Arne Slot faced the media after Liverpool’s 2–1 loss to Manchester United at Anfield, offering an honest and measured reflection on a difficult afternoon for his side. It was Liverpool’s fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions, and while the performance showed flashes of quality, the result once again left the Reds empty-handed.
Cody Gakpo’s second-half equalizer gave the hosts a lifeline, but Harry Maguire’s late header sealed victory for the visitors after Bryan Mbeumo’s early strike. Slot discussed what went wrong, how confidence levels in his squad are holding up, and why he still sees reasons for optimism.
Early Setback and Missed Chances
Asked what went wrong, Arne Slot didn’t hesitate to pinpoint the early goal as a key factor. “The result. And the fact that we went 1–0 down so early,” he said. “If you play United, with so many quality players, and they come here playing a low block with long balls, the last thing you want is to concede early. That gives them even more belief.”
Despite that setback, Slot was encouraged by how his team responded. He admitted he didn’t think it was possible to create as many as “eight, nine, or ten open chances” against a United side playing that way, but Liverpool did exactly that. The problem, as he put it bluntly, was finishing.
“From all the chances we got, we only scored one goal,” Slot said. “It’s almost impossible to win a big game like Liverpool v United with a negative set-piece balance. We conceded another one, and that led to us losing the game.”
The Controversy Around United’s First Goal
There was frustration among fans after United’s opener, which came while Alexis Mac Allister was down injured in the buildup. Slot addressed the incident but refused to use it as an excuse.
“I think the main thing we should do now is not complain or blame,” he said. “We could have done better after Macca was on the floor, but the healthcare of a player is important. If a player needs four stitches, you’d hope everyone understands he needs immediate treatment. But it didn’t happen.”
Slot emphasized Liverpool’s fair play reputation, noting that his players do not fake head injuries to stop play. “We are not that team,” he said. “If one of our players goes down, you would hope everyone knows it’s genuine. But again, that’s not the reason we lost. We lost because we missed far too many chances.”
Confidence and the Challenge of a Losing Run
With Liverpool now on a four-game losing streak, Slot was asked if he’s concerned about confidence in the squad. His answer reflected both realism and belief.
“As a manager, you constantly face challenges,” he said. “When I started, the challenge was being a new manager. Then moving to a bigger club was another challenge. Becoming the successor to Jürgen Klopp was called the biggest challenge. Now we’ve lost four in a row, and that’s a challenge too.”
Still, he doesn’t sense that confidence has dropped. “Every game we’ve lost, we’ve created an unbelievable amount of chances,” he said. “If you put all the highlights of the three Premier League losses together, it’s hardly possible that we lost those games. So if we keep producing performances like this and improve a few details, there’s every reason to expect we’ll start winning again.”
Slot also pointed out that Liverpool’s attacking setup often leaves them more exposed defensively, especially when chasing games. “After 55 minutes today, we had six or seven offensive players on the pitch,” he explained. “That might be part of why our defending on set-pieces hasn’t been perfect lately. It’s not an excuse, but maybe not a coincidence.”
Fine Margins and Gakpo’s Frustrating Afternoon
Cody Gakpo was one of Liverpool’s standout performers, scoring the equalizer and hitting the woodwork three times. Slot acknowledged that the game was decided by the smallest of margins.
“Cody scored a goal and was involved in multiple big moments,” Slot said. “If you win, people believe you when you say the margins are small. But when you lose, they see it as an excuse. Last season, Harry Maguire had a big chance here and missed. Today, he scored. After that, Cody had another chance. So yes, these are small margins but we have to prove we can do better.”
Is This Just a Blip?
Asked if he believes Liverpool’s recent form is just a temporary dip, Slot was thoughtful. “That depends on whether we can keep bringing performances like this,” he said. “When you start losing one, two, then three or four games, you always face the same challenges players wondering about minutes or substitutions.”
Even so, Slot remains positive about his squad’s attitude. “The players who start are creating a lot, those who come in bring energy, and those who go off are fully behind their teammates. That’s a good sign,” he said. “We need to keep doing that. Maybe it’s better to create less and score more.”
On Salah’s Form and Team Finishing
When asked about Mohamed Salah’s recent form, Slot chose to focus on the team rather than any individual. “It’s quite normal,” he said. “In the first few weeks, people asked me about the new players. Now it’s about Mo. But this isn’t the time to talk about individuals. As a team, we expect more.”
He noted that Liverpool have been dominant in open play but wasteful in front of goal. “Mo had a good chance today, Cody had four or five, Hugo Ekitike was close a few times, and Isak went one-on-one in the first half,” Slot said. “We had ten corners, they had four. We didn’t score, they did. That shows again how crucial set-pieces are in football.”
Slot also made a point about Liverpool’s creativity. “We are the team that creates the most chances in open play,” he said. “That hasn’t changed after today. But as we saw this weekend, open play isn’t the only way to win. United showed that, and so did Chelsea, who scored three set-piece goals.”
Gravenberch Injury Concern
Ryan Gravenberch was substituted in the second half, and Slot confirmed it was precautionary. “He twisted his ankle,” he said. “We’ll have to wait and see tomorrow how serious it is. We play again in two days, and it’s our third game in seven days. There’s not a lot of time for players to recover, but the good thing is we have more than one good midfielder.”
Slot’s Outlook: Still Confident, Still Fighting
Despite the defeat and the difficult run, Slot’s tone remained calm and optimistic. He spoke about challenges not as setbacks but as part of a manager’s life. “When you win, you want to keep winning. When you lose, you want to start winning again,” he said.
Liverpool’s recent form has been frustrating, especially given the number of chances created in each game. But Slot sees that as a foundation to build on rather than a reason to panic.
“If we keep creating eight or nine open chances per match, the goals will come,” he said. “We just need to take them. Maybe the solution is not to create more but to make sure the ones we do create end up in the net.”
Conclusion
Arne Slot’s message after the defeat was clear: Liverpool’s performances have not been as poor as the results suggest. The frustration lies in missed opportunities and costly lapses on set-pieces, not in a lack of effort or quality.
The Dutchman’s calm and measured tone reflected a belief that his team is close to turning things around. “We limit our opponents well, we create a lot, and the players are together,” he said. “Now we just need the results to follow.”
For Liverpool, the focus now shifts to bouncing back quickly. With another game coming up in just two days, Slot’s side will need both resilience and precision to put this rough patch behind them.
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YNWA (You’ll Never Walk Alone)!
The Liverpool FC Times Team
LiverpoolFCTimes.com