Arne Slot: 'Liverpool needed luck to avoid defeat'

Coach Arne Slot acknowledged Liverpool’s lack of ideas and that they only managed to keep a point versus Sunderland thanks to some fortune, calling on the squad to enhance their offensive play.

Coach Arne Slot recognized that Liverpool delivered a lackluster performance and only escaped defeat against Sunderland in a 1-1 draw at Anfield during the 15th round of the Premier League.

After the match, the Dutch strategist expressed his disappointment with his players’ performance: “This game was quite similar to last weekend; we didn’t create many chances, nor did we allow the opponent too many. But the goal we conceded was unlucky. Their shot deflected off Virgil (van Dijk) and went into the net. That can happen in football, but clearly, we need to do better.”

Slot believes Liverpool are struggling creatively when facing teams that defend tightly: “You have to understand how the opponent approaches the match. Sunderland either presses very high or retreats deeply with many players in the box. They have only conceded more than one goal four times this season, which shows their discipline. We controlled possession a lot but lacked breakthroughs.”

The 47-year-old coach also admitted Liverpool’s first half was “too slow and lacked ideas”: “We moved the ball too slowly and failed to create space. We need more daring in the final actions.”

When asked about the equalizing goal by Florian Wirtz, Slot said: “Maybe he was lucky because the shot bounced off Mukiele, but it was still a worthy effort. Wirtz is a player who always dares to make a difference.”

Slot also praised Federico Chiesa, who made a crucial goal-line clearance in the final minutes: “That’s the spirit I want to see from players — never giving up. Without Chiesa’s timely intervention, we could have lost.”

Regarding Mohamed Salah continuing to be on the bench, Slot confirmed this decision was purely tactical: “I always select the best lineup for each opponent. Salah’s preparation for the AFCON does not influence my choices.”

With this draw, Liverpool missed the chance to close in on the top group, and Slot emphasized the whole team “must quickly improve their attacking ability if they want to compete for titles this season.”

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