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Arne Slot cut a frustrated but measured figure after his side’s dramatic 3-2 defeat to AFC Bournemouth, a result decided by Amine Adli’s stoppage-time winner at the Vitality Stadium. Having clawed their way back from two goals down through Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai, the Reds looked set to take a hard-earned point from a difficult away fixture. Instead, one final scramble in the box brought heartbreak and brought an end to Liverpool’s 13-game unbeaten run.
Speaking to the media after the match, Slot reflected on fatigue, injuries, game management, and the fine margins that defined a chaotic afternoon on the south coast.
“Frustrating” Ending After Liverpool’s Fightback
Slot did not hide his disappointment with the manner of the defeat, particularly given how late Bournemouth struck the winning goal.
“Frustrating, of course,” he admitted. “Conceding a goal is always frustrating but especially if there’s no time left to come back into the game.”
The Liverpool manager felt the game had shifted after Szoboszlai’s equaliser, but not in the way many expected.
“I think after we scored the 2-2, we were still trying, but it’s safe to say a few players ran out of energy,” Slot explained. “I cannot even criticise them for that.”
The context mattered. Liverpool had played away in the Champions League just two days earlier, then faced another away trip against one of the most physically intense teams in the Premier League.
“We are the only team that played in the Champions League that has only two days in between,” Slot pointed out. “Then you play Bournemouth away, one of the most intense teams in the league.”
Fatigue, Squad Limitations, and the Last 10 Minutes
Slot acknowledged that tired legs played a role in the closing stages, especially as Liverpool pushed forward looking for a winner.
“What should not have happened is that you have to win it in the end because that’s more difficult,” he said. “That’s what you saw in the last 10 minutes.”
Despite the result, Slot was keen to highlight long stretches where Liverpool were the better side.
“For the rest of the game, it was completely different,” he added. “I think there we dominated the game.”
It was a familiar theme this season. Strong control, promising spells, but moments where the game tilted sharply against them.
Two Goals in Seven Minutes and the Role of Conditions
Bournemouth’s two quick first-half goals proved decisive, but Slot resisted the idea of pinning blame on individual errors, particularly where Virgil van Dijk was concerned.
“I don’t think it is completely fair to blame Virgil for the first goal,” Slot said. “You could see throughout the game how much impact the wind had on certain balls.”
He even referenced a moment late in the game when a long pass behaved unpredictably.
“At the end, Virgil hit a long ball towards Mo and I expected it to go to the goalkeeper, but all of a sudden it fell to Mo,” he explained. “So he wasn’t the only one struggling with the wind.”
Slot also pointed out that Liverpool were briefly down to 10 men after the first goal, with Joe Gomez injured in the same passage of play.
Still, Slot accepted responsibility.
“We concede, and the only ones to blame are ourselves.”
Energy Levels and Bournemouth’s Physical Edge
Much was made of Bournemouth’s running power, but Slot felt that statistic needed context.
“If Bournemouth had to run more, that’s because we had around 67 per cent possession,” he said.
He was full of praise for both teams, highlighting Bournemouth’s physical qualities while defending his own players’ mentality.
“They are top in almost every statistic when it comes to running,” Slot said. “But credit to my players. If you go 2-0 down the way we did, we again showed mentality and fitness to come back.”
He also pointed to a key difference between the two sides.
“They only have to play once a week,” Slot noted. “That helps.”
Still, he was clear that this was not an excuse.
“A club like Liverpool is used to playing three times a week,” he said. “But we mainly do this with the same players.”
Managing Minutes and Squad Depth Challenges
Slot offered insight into some of his selection and substitution decisions, particularly around Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong. Ekitike, who impressed against Marseille, was left out of the starting XI.
“That was not because I didn’t like him or he wasn’t good,” Slot explained. “It was simply because I only have one No.9 available for the upcoming weeks and months.”
With a heavy fixture list ahead, Slot stressed the importance of managing minutes carefully.
“With so many games to play, you have to manage his minutes,” he said.
Frimpong’s substitution followed a similar logic.
“In the first half he was getting things done, but after half-time I could see the energy running out a little bit,” Slot added.
The end result, as Slot admitted, was that Liverpool had to improvise.
“You then play two players not in their favourite position with Wata and Dom,” he said. “By the way, they did well, but it is the reality of this moment.”
Playing With 10 Men and Gomez’s Injury Impact
Liverpool’s brief spell with 10 men during the first half was another key moment in the game.
“I tried to scream for them to put the ball out,” Slot revealed. “But actually we were quite comfortable.”
He felt the second Bournemouth goal was not solely down to the numerical disadvantage.
“Even if you are down to 10, the way we conceded that goal was not specifically because of that,” he said. “It’s a situation where we could have done better.”
On Joe Gomez’s injury, Slot provided a worrying update.
“Joe got a knock from Ali,” he said. “It was knee on knee, bone on bone.”
Gomez attempted to continue but quickly realised he could not.
“I don’t know if he is going to train in two or three days,” Slot admitted. “But it was clear he could not go on today.”
Alisson also suffered swelling in his knee, adding to Liverpool’s growing list of physical concerns.
No Transfer Talk and Robertson’s Future
Asked about Andy Robertson’s future, Slot shut the question down with a familiar smile.
“What do you think my answer is going to be?” he replied. “We don’t talk about transfers in public.”
It was brief, blunt, and entirely expected.
Why Kerkez Came Off at Half-Time
Slot also clarified that Milos Kerkez’s half-time substitution was neither tactical nor injury-related.
“There was no injury,” he said. “And I wouldn’t say it was tactical.”
Instead, it was a decision rooted in workload management.
“It was obvious before the game that it was not smart to play him another 90,” Slot explained.
With Liverpool already forced into a first-half substitution, Slot chose the safer option.
“That is why I decided to take him off at half-time,” he said. “It was always the intention to take him off in the second half. I just did it a bit earlier.”
Final Thoughts From Slot
This was a press conference that revealed a lot about Liverpool’s current reality. Fatigue, injuries, and thin margins are shaping matches, even when performances are strong.
Liverpool showed resilience, quality, and character to come back from 2-0 down. But football can be unforgiving, and one lapse was all Bournemouth needed. For Slot, the focus now shifts quickly to recovery and response. The unbeaten run may be over, but the season is very much alive.
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YNWA (You’ll Never Walk Alone)!
The Liverpool FC Times Team
LiverpoolFCTimes.com