Slot's Dilemma: Liverpool's Struggle Against Long Balls and Low Blocks

Liverpool Losing Streak, Arne Slot admits team needs to find answers

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on the team's losing streak and finding solutions to opponents' winning strategies.

“It's always a bit of a bumpy road, but four losses in a row. We've also played five of the last six games away from...”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is under pressure to turn things around after his team suffered a 3-2 defeat at Brentford, their fourth consecutive league loss. Slot acknowledged that opponents have found a winning formula against his side, and it's up to him to come up with a solution.

Their title defense got off to a strong start, but losses to Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Brentford, and Manchester United have derailed their momentum. Slot described the loss to Brentford as arguably their worst performance in the slump, with Liverpool being outplayed by a team that effectively exposed their vulnerabilities.

“Slot said, 'I've said this many times already that teams have a certain playing style against us, which is a very good strategy to play, and we haven't found an answer yet.'” This strategy has led to Liverpool conceding early goals in each of their four Premier League defeats.a

The Dutch manager admitted that changing a lot of players during the summer transfer window might have contributed to the team's struggles. Despite this, Liverpool has shown glimpses of brilliance, scoring two goals in the match against Brentford even when they weren't playing their best football.

“I've said this many times already that teams have a certain playing style against us, which is a very good strategy to play, and we haven't found an answer yet,” Slot told reporters.

“Also going 1-0 down doesn't really help as well after five minutes. But even today, when we don't play well, we're able to score two goals and create more chances from open play.”

A pattern's emerging, Liverpool's conceded early in each of their last four Premier League losses, and they even fell behind to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League, only to mount an impressive 5-1 comeback.

Sloppy Start

The early goal was a bitter pill to swallow. Slot was left frustrated by the way Liverpool conceded after just five minutes, despite spending Friday prepping for Brentford's long throws. They got caught out by Michael Kayode's delivery, and Kristoffer Ajer's flick-on allowed Dango Ouattara to react quickly and volley home.

“They won more duels than us, they won more second balls than us and if you come here and you know if you are going to concede goals then one of them may be a set-piece and a counter-attack is also one of their biggest strengths and that's how we conceded two goals,” Slot said.

Arne Slot press conference: Every word on #BRELIV

➡️ https://t.co/6zcwNtNTC6 pic.twitter.com/bkF0smtX9W

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 25, 2025

Liverpool's summer splurge saw them drop over £400 million on signings like Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, but not Alexander Isak apparently as there's no confirmation on his signing, and Jaremi Frimpong. However, the expected injection of talent hasn't translated to results on the pitch. A stark contrast to their title-winning season under Arne Slot, the Reds have struggled, losing four of their opening nine games - matching their total losses for the entire last season.

“If you change quite a lot during the summer, then I think it's not a surprise that it can go a bit like this, but I didn't expect it to go with four losses in a row,” Slot said.

“It's always a bit of a bumpy road, but four losses in a row. We've also played five of the last six games away from home which is not helpful when we are in the run of form we are.”

Defeat. pic.twitter.com/6TD4oLS9v3

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 25, 2025

Jordan Henderson was a standout performer for Brentford, controlling the midfield tempo and breaking up Liverpool's attacks with his trademark intensity. After the game, he expressed his confidence that his former club would bounce back from their current slump, stating that Liverpool is a “world-class team with world-class players” and it's “just a matter of time before they get in a rhythm and get going.”

“I know there's been results of late that haven't been great for them but, for me, they're still top players and a top, top team and it's a matter of time before they get in a rhythm and get going,” the England international said.