Arne Slot’s reaction: What did the Liverpool manager say following the loss to Crystal Palace?
Arne Slot’s reaction: What did the Liverpool manager say following the loss to Crystal Palace?
Liverpool manager Arne Slot experienced his team’s first defeat of the season in the Premier League, as they suffered a heartbreaking loss at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Reds faced a challenging match in south London and believed they had salvaged a point late in the game, but Eddie Nketiah secured the victory for Palace in the 97th minute.
“Palace deserved to win. They were significantly better than us in the first half and could have easily been ahead 3-0 or 4-0; we owe Alisson for keeping it to just 1-0,” a candid and reflective Arne Slot shared with BBC Match of the Day.
“On a positive note, we created several opportunities against a Palace side that rarely allows chances. However, on the negative side, we allowed far too many chances despite Palace having limited possession.”
Here’s more of the latest Arne Slot reaction from Selhurst Park.
Regarding the result and performance: “The first half was very challenging for us. They performed exceptionally well and deserved their 1-0 lead. We were fortunate it was only 1-0.
The second half was somewhat different. We had enough opportunities to score, but it took us a while to find the net, and by the time we did, only a few minutes remained.
You start to think it might end in a draw, but from their second set piece, they clinched the win.”
Regarding the two goals conceded from set pieces, there is a concern: “To compete effectively and be among the top teams, a positive balance in set pieces is essential.
This has been my consistent message for years, and in this league, it is even more critical. Last season, we excelled in this area, rarely conceding from set pieces. However, against Newcastle, we allowed two goals, and today we conceded another two, indicating a need for improvement.
Set pieces are increasingly significant in this league, and we faced numerous defensive situations with minimal margins.
In the final moments, one of our players advanced to potentially initiate a counter-attack for a second goal, but the ball fell to a Crystal Palace player who capitalized and scored.
In the first half, we relied on Alisson to make several crucial saves to keep us in the game: “Their game plan is effective. The team’s style aligns well with their players’ strengths.
They adopt a low block, and their counter-attacks are potent due to their quick players and the presence of a strong target man like Mateta. When we attempted to press them, they skillfully played balls behind our defense, causing us significant issues in the first half.
We conceded four or five chances, which is considerable. While we maintained ball possession and moved it from side to side, penetrating their low block proved challenging, especially when they were already leading 1-0.
On the difficulty of creating clear-cut chances: “In the second half, we did create opportunities.
Alex [Isak] had a notable chance, managing to stay on his feet. Similarly, Jeremie Frimpong faced a situation in the second half where he was tripped inside the 18-yard box but tried to remain upright.
Florian Wirtz also had a significant opportunity from a cross by Dominik Szoboszlai. Overall, our performance in the second half improved, which was not particularly difficult compared to the first half.
Regarding the timing of the winning goal, were there any concerns? “No, not really. It’s never ideal to concede a goal during extra time, but since there was a substitution in that period, an additional half a minute seemed fair.
I’m not sure exactly when they scored, but that extra half minute was standard. I need to verify the exact moment they scored. However, that’s not the main issue. We need to defend that throw-in much more effectively than we did.
As for how his team will respond to losing their perfect record: “Yes, we gain a lot of insights from all the matches we’ve played so far.
This is an opportunity for us to learn even more, and we weren’t flawless in our previous performances. Nevertheless, we have always been a team that fights hard to get back into the game.
We demonstrated that again today, but unfortunately, it didn’t result in points because they scored the winning goal.”