Liverpool manager said any slight drop of sharpness can be costly in the Premier League, as his side fell to a 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge
Arne Slot admitted there was little joy to be taken from defeat against Chelsea but pointed to positives in his side’s performance, after already-crowned champions Liverpool fell 3-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Despite the result, Slot was encouraged by his team’s control in possession and mentality after falling behind early.
“Dominating ball possession at Stamford Bridge is not what many teams do over here because Chelsea are so comfortable with the ball as well,” he said. “Being 2-0 down, don’t give up, try to fight ourselves back into the game – and that’s what we did.”
Liverpool showed signs of a comeback late in the game when they pulled one back through a Van Dijk header to make it 2-1. But Slot admitted the momentum never fully shifted.
“When we scored for 2-1 I was like, ‘Let’s see if there’s something in it…’ but I don’t think there was a moment where we were close to scoring a goal,” he said.
The 46-year-old also addressed the impact of rotating his squad following their title win. It was evident that Liverpool’s sharpness dropped in key areas of the pitch and during key moments.
“In general, [it was] a good performance, but the final percentages weren’t there to win this game of football,” said Slot. “In the final third we come there so many times and normally we are able to create more chances.
“[In] the lead-up to both goals a player of ours slipped. Would it have happened as well if the game was on the line? Yes or no, we will never know.
“But the margins are small in the Premier League, especially if you play a team like Chelsea with so many quality players, then you cannot afford these kind of moments.”
