Manager says supporters “underestimating what a window can do” after 12th league defeat delayed Champions League qualification
Arne Slot has said Liverpool’s heavy defeat at Aston Villa is damaging but assured supporters that his side will bounce back next season.
Liverpool were beaten 4-2 at Villa Park in a result that secured Aston Villa a place in next season’s Champions League while piling pressure on Slot’s side heading into the final weekend of the Premier League campaign.
The defeat means Liverpool may now need victory against Brentford at Anfield next Sunday to guarantee qualification for Europe’s top competition.
Slot acknowledged the scale of the setback after the match, admitting his side failed to recover after losing control during the second half.
“It’s damaging because we needed either a win or maybe, maybe, maybe two draws would have been enough as well,” Slot said.
“But now we know one thing for sure: we need a win next week if we have to do it ourselves. The other teams of course need to pick up points as well for us to need a win.
“That’s really damaging that we were not able to get a result, let alone a win here today.”
Liverpool had moments where they looked capable of taking something from the game and Slot feels they only began to slip in a key moment in the second half, which allowed Villa to go 2-1 up.
“There were parts in the game where I felt a result could have gone our way but I think people are mainly focused on the period after the 2-1 where we couldn’t find any momentum anymore and we conceded two other goal,” Slot said.
The Dutchman also conceded Liverpool’s defensive problems remain a major concern. The club have now conceded 20 goals from set pieces in the league this season, with Villa punishing them twice from corners.
Asked whether supporters had enough reason to feel optimistic about next season following a 12th league defeat, Slot said he understood the growing frustration around the club.
“I can understand that, at this moment in time, [the fans] don’t have a lot of confidence or a lot of feeling that things can be much better next season,” Slot said.
“But I think then they are underestimating what a window can do, what a new start can do.”
