admin“Unacceptable”- Arne Slot makes subtle ‘extra time’ dig as Liverpool boss furious after Crystal Palace loss
Arne Slot Frustrated by Late Defeat as Liverpool Fall to Crystal Palace
Liverpool suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of Crystal Palace, with manager Arne Slot visibly frustrated after Eddie Nketiah netted a stoppage-time winner.
Arne Slot expressed his frustration after Liverpool conceded a last-gasp goal in what he described as the “extra time of extra time” during their 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace.
Despite the disappointment, the Reds boss admitted there were important lessons for his team to take from the defeat.
Liverpool suffered their first loss of the season at Selhurst Park, with Eddie Nketiah scoring a dramatic winner deep into stoppage time. Federico Chiesa had earlier given the visitors hope, netting an equalizer late in the second half after Ismaila Sarr had put Palace ahead in the first.
It was a reversal of roles for Liverpool, who have often found themselves on the right side of late winners this season. This time, their luck ran out in London.
The performance was far from their usual standards, with goalkeeper Alisson Becker playing a key role in keeping the deficit to just one in the first half with a series of brilliant saves.
Liverpool improved after the break and finally found a breakthrough in the 87th minute, when Chiesa lashed home the equalizer.
However, their hopes of salvaging a point were dashed in stoppage time when a long throw-in led to Nketiah – the former Arsenal striker – pouncing on a loose ball to seal the win and maintain Palace’s unbeaten run.
Slot was visibly furious after the late goal, arguing with the fourth official over the amount of time played. Although six minutes of added time were signaled, Nketiah’s winner came in the 97th minute.
Slot continued to voice his complaints after the match but also acknowledged his side was fortunate to still be in contention after a difficult first half.
“Very difficult first half,” Slot told Sky Sports. “They played really well and deserved their lead – we were lucky it was only 1-0.”
“In the second half, it was the other way around. It took us a while to score, but we did with a few minutes left. Unfortunately, we conceded from a second set piece and they won the game.”
Slot emphasized the importance of set pieces, noting a worrying trend for Liverpool this season.
“If you want to compete, you need to have a strong record with set pieces, especially in this league. It was one of our biggest strengths last season.
Now, we’ve conceded two goals from set pieces against Newcastle, and two more today. Set pieces are becoming more and more decisive in this league.”
He also praised Palace’s game plan: “Their style suits their players well – a compact low block, pace on the counter, and Mateta as a target man.
We had real problems in the first half. After that, we had possession, but breaking down their block was extremely difficult.”
When asked specifically about the timing of the winning goal, Slot said: “It’s never ideal to concede in the extra time of extra time. There was a substitution, so maybe half a minute extra was justified.
I’ll have to check exactly when they scored, but ultimately, we needed to defend that throw-in better.”
Despite the result, Slot remained focused on improvement: “We learn from every match, but especially from games like this.”
admin
