Arne Slot Manager
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Liverpool’s recent match in North London saw the team overcome a first-half red card for Xavi Simons to secure a victory, thanks to goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike. Richarlison’s late goal set up a thrilling finish, but the champions held on for the win. Manager Arne Slot, however, acknowledged that the changes implemented over the summer would require time to produce consistent results.
Arne Slot said: “We are always aiming for the best possible and after the good start we had, we were disappointed with the run of results we had after it. I think you have said, we are now on equal points for the top four but we have done quite well in the Champions League with a difficult draw. I see a lot of teams that hardly have a point but we haven’t faced them. So I think it has never been as bad as some people have said but it’s also true that we are definitely not perfect yet. But we knew this when we made so many changes in the summer, it’d take time.”
Slot further elaborated on the challenges faced during the match, particularly after Romero’s red card, which he initially thought would ease their path to victory.
Slot added: “I thought [Romero’s red] would mean it is a bit easier but in reality, it wasn’t. Of course, they still had the free-kick and I know what a special player Pedro Porro is, he has shown that already with the corner he took which led to a goal. So I thought let’s survive this free-kick and then, to be honest, I thought with nine men, we would be able to keep them away from our goal but it looked as though we were down to nine and they had 11, which led to attack, after attack, after attack. It didn’t lead to a goal.”
The manager also shared his thoughts on the controversial red card given to Xavi Simons, expressing his view on the decision-making process of referees and VAR.
Slot continued: “With Xavi Simons, I don’t think he had any intention to do it but if you see it back, where he touches him, from behind, studs, the height, calf, this time already a few times in games against us it hasn’t led to a red card and this time it did. I’ve seen these fouls are red cards and sometimes against us they haven’t been. You are always relying on who is the VAR and which referee makes a decision.”
The match highlighted both the resilience and the areas for improvement within the Liverpool squad. Slot’s comments underscore the club’s awareness of the challenges associated with integrating new changes and the importance of patience as the team continues to adapt.
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