Liverpool manager Arne Slot has demanded an immediate response from his players after the defending Premier League champions suffered a run of three consecutive defeats in all competitions. The Reds’ impressive start to the season—seven wins from their opening seven matches—has quickly faded, exposing defensive weaknesses and attacking inconsistency ahead of their crucial clash with Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.
Slot admitted his side have not performed to expectations and stressed the importance of tightening up defensively. Liverpool have conceded two or more goals in four of their seven league matches so far, a worrying statistic for a team that prided itself on defensive solidity during last season’s title-winning campaign.
“We’ve played 10, won seven and lost three,” Slot said. “The three losses were by close margins, but results don’t lie. If you lose three in a row, you have to do better. We are aware of that and we have to react.”
Despite heavy investment during the summer—spending nearly £450 million on new arrivals including record signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz—Liverpool’s attacking output has faltered. Neither of the new signings has found the net in the Premier League, while Mohamed Salah has struggled to replicate the electric form that drove the club to glory last season.
Slot highlighted the team’s diminished creativity and failure to capitalize on set pieces as key issues. “We haven’t created as many chances as last season, and we need to find answers,” he said. “If a team scores one or two goals, then we need three. Last year, we got these goals from special moments or set pieces. This season, we haven’t had those special moments, and conceding four goals from set pieces is far too much for a team that wants to compete.”
Liverpool will be without goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. However, midfielder Ryan Gravenberch is fit and available for selection after shaking off a minor knock sustained while on international duty with the Netherlands.
As the Reds prepare to host fierce rivals Manchester United, Slot will be hoping his players rediscover the intensity and cohesion that made them champions. Anything less than a convincing performance at Anfield could deepen the early-season concerns surrounding the Dutchman’s reign.
