Arne Slot remained resolute after Liverpool endured a disappointing week, ending with a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in the League Cup final on Sunday. Shifting focus, the manager emphasised the team’s strong position in the Premier League title race.
The loss at Wembley followed their Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain on penalties just days earlier. Despite the setbacks, Liverpool remain on course to secure their 20th English top-flight title, sitting 12 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal with nine matches left.
Newcastle, claiming their first major trophy in 56 years and their first domestic silverware in 70 years, outmuscled Liverpool. Goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak sealed victory, with Federico Chiesa’s late strike proving only a consolation.
Slot was asked how he plans to prevent these defeats from affecting the remainder of Liverpool’s season.
“We are here in one of the biggest clubs in the world, Liverpool, but it’s not for the first time in their history or in the last two seasons that they’ve lost two games in a row,” said Slot.
“This is part of playing football, especially if one of them is when you face the best team in Europe at the moment and the other one is facing Newcastle, which is a very strong team in England.”
Acknowledging the difficult run, Slot highlighted that Liverpool had actually extended their Premier League lead.
“I want to make clear one more time that the week started off really well by us beating Southampton,” he said. “That’s why we extended our lead to 12 points with nine games to go (the situation after Arsenal’s 1-0 against Chelsea on Sunday).
“And, yeah, you know if you go far in tournaments that the opposition in your face gets stronger and stronger and that you can lose. Even Liverpool can lose football games. That’s what can happen.”
Slot dismissed suggestions that Newcastle dominated the match, stating that while the Magpies deserved their victory, Liverpool were not entirely outplayed.
With Liverpool now on an international break before their next fixture against Everton on April 2, Slot admitted he would have preferred to play sooner.
“I would have loved to play next week but now the situation is that they go to their national teams where they have to play two more games again,” he said.
“Then it’s probably one and a half weeks before we face Everton, which is again a team we already faced and we know how difficult that one was. So let’s see. I think you have to adjust.”
