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Arne Slot Acknowledges Liverpool's Work in Progress

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Arne Slot reacts at full-time
Arne Slot reacts at full-time


Liverpool manager Arne Slot acknowledged that his team is still a work in progress after suffering their third consecutive loss in a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday...


“We didn't play the last pass well enough in those chances. It was end-to-end in the last few minutes...”


Liverpool manager Arne Slot has attributed his team's 2-1 loss to Chelsea to being still a work in progress. The Premier League champions suffered their third consecutive defeat, with Chelsea's Brazilian teenager Estevao scoring the decisive goal in the 95th minute. This marks the first time Liverpool have lost three successive games since 2023 under Jurgen Klopp.


Slot praised his team's second-half performance, saying they created more chances than Chelsea and were close to winning. However, Liverpool's inability to capitalize on their scoring opportunities ultimately cost them the match. “We didn't play the last pass well enough in those chances. It was end-to-end in the last few minutes. Either team could have won it, and Chelsea did,” Slot said.




The loss highlights the challenges Liverpool faces in the season, particularly with their recent squad changes and injuries. Slot mentioned that the team is still adjusting to the new players and style, which is affecting their performance. “We had our changes in the summer. Players came in at different moments. In the last weeks, there has hardly been any training time. We need to bring these players into our style,” he explained.


Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate was substituted due to a quad injury, which could potentially impact the team's upcoming matches. Slot took a cautious approach, deciding to replace Konate with Ryan Gravenberch, who helped create scoring opportunities for Liverpool.




Beaten in the final seconds at Crystal Palace last weekend, Slot's side stumbled again as Estevao Willian grabbed a dramatic stoppage-time winner at Stamford Bridge.


Moises Caicedo had blasted Chelsea into an early lead with a superb long-range strike before Cody Gakpo equalised in the second half.


Liverpool's recent struggles continued with a 2-1 loss to Chelsea, marking their third consecutive defeat. This losing streak began with a loss to Crystal Palace, followed by a midweek defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League. The Reds had started the season strong, with seven successive wins in all competitions, but have now lost three games in a row for the first time since Jurgen Klopp's tenure in 2023.




This losing streak is a new experience for Arne Slot, who has taken the reins at Liverpool. Slot attributes the defeats to “fine margins” and the impact of a turbulent off-season, including the tragic death of Diogo Jota and key players leaving. Despite the setbacks, Slot remains optimistic, believing that improved build-up play and increased time for new signings Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah to connect will yield better results.


The match against Chelsea also raised concerns about the fitness of defender Ibrahima Konate, who was substituted due to a quad injury. Slot took a cautious approach, deciding to replace Konate with Ryan Gravenberch. The extent of Konate's injury is still unknown, adding to Liverpool's worries ahead of their upcoming matches.


Liverpool manager Arne Slot attributes his team's inconsistent performances to the significant changes made during the summer transfer window. The Reds have spent over £400 million on new signings, including Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, who have yet to replicate their form from previous seasons. This substantial investment has led to some growing pains, with Liverpool relying on late goals to secure wins.


The team is still adjusting to the new dynamics and chemistry brought about by the influx of fresh talent. Additionally, the tragic loss of Diogo Jota in a car crash in July continues to affect the team's morale and performance. Jota, who was just 28, had become an integral part of the Liverpool squad, and his absence has been deeply felt.




Despite these challenges, Slot remains focused on building a cohesive unit capable of competing at the highest level. With time and patience, the team is expected to gel, and the new signings are anticipated to make a significant impact. For now, Slot's priority is to fine-tune the team's performance and overcome the emotional hurdles they face.


“You are never close to your ideal. You have to work very hard to reach a certain level, and then it's hard to maintain that level because you play against other quality teams,” Slot said.


“We had our changes in the summer. Players came in at different moments. In the last weeks, there has hardly been any training time. We need to bring these players into our style.


“If we had a draw today, we would have had a great start to the season if you take into account everything that happened in the summer with Liverpool.”


Liverpool's Struggles Continue
Liverpool's recent woes continued as they were outmaneuvered by Chelsea, despite the Blues being without several key defenders due to injury and suspension. It took Liverpool 51 minutes to register a shot on target, highlighting their struggles to create scoring opportunities. Chelsea, who had lost their previous two league games, showed resilience and ultimately capitalized on Liverpool's shortcomings to secure a 2-1 win.


The match exposed Liverpool's ongoing issues with finishing and creating clear-cut chances, with the Reds failing to take advantage of Chelsea's vulnerabilities. This latest defeat marks the third consecutive loss for Liverpool, a streak that has raised concerns about their title aspirations. Manager Arne Slot will likely be analyzing the team's performance to identify areas for improvement.


“Another disappointing loss, that is clear. We created three big chances in the first half, they only had one and they scored it,” said Slot, whose team host Manchester United in their next match after the international break


“The second half performance I liked. We created more than enough to score more than one goal. There were periods where I thought we were going to win it.


“We didn't play the last pass well enough in those chances. It was end-to-end in the last few minutes. Either team could have won it, and Chelsea did.”


Arne Slot remains optimistic about the partnership between new signings Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah, despite their struggles to gel so far. The two players have yet to develop a strong connection on the pitch, but Slot is confident that they will eventually find their rhythm and form a potent attacking duo for Liverpool. With time and more matches together, Slot believes the team will start to click and show their full potential.


“We didn't play the last pass well enough in those chances. It was end-to-end in the last few minutes


“The more they play together, the more they will connect. I had to take (Ibrahima) Konate off because he felt his quad.


“When Ryan (Gravenberch) started to play in that position, we started to get our attacking players in much better positions,” he said.


“It wasn't about a disconnection between players. We had to do much better with our build-up, and that's what we did in the second half.”


Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca did not attend the post-match press conference after being sent off for his jubilant sprint down the touchline to celebrate Estevao's winner.


“He is ok. Unfortunately, he can't be here because of the red card, but he was so happy after the game,” Maresca's assistant Willy Caballero said.


“We have been holding our emotions for the last couple of weeks because we have been playing well and not winning. Today was really important.”







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