Liverpool manager Arne Slot has delivered a damning verdict on his team's faltering Premier League title defence, pinpointing a chronic inability to defend set-pieces as the primary reason they are languishing in eighth place.
A Costly Collapse at Elland Road
The Dutch coach's frustration boiled over following a chaotic and gut-wrenching 3-3 draw away to Leeds United on Saturday. The reigning champions twice surrendered the lead at Elland Road, with the final blow coming from a 96th-minute Leeds corner that snatched a point for the hosts.
Liverpool appeared to be cruising towards a vital victory after Hugo Ekitike's second-half double put them 2-0 ahead. However, the game turned on a VAR decision that penalised Ibrahima Konate for a challenge on Wilfried Gnonto. Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted the resulting penalty, and Anton Stach levelled the scores just three minutes later.
Although Dominik Szoboszlai swiftly restored Liverpool's advantage, their vulnerability was exposed in the dying moments of nine minutes of added time, culminating in the late equaliser that left Slot and his players devastated.
Slot's Stark Admission on Defensive Frailty
In a candid post-match assessment, Slot did not mince his words, directly linking his side's league position to their defensive shortcomings from dead-ball situations. "It's the 10th or 11th [goal conceded from a set-piece] this season," Slot revealed to Match of the Day. "If you concede so many you cannot be higher up the table than we are."
He expressed a sense of disbelief at the manner of the collapse, stating his team played "quite well to very well" for large periods before unravelling. "It's not the first time we have dropped points, it's not the first time we have conceded a goal in the last minute, it's not the first we have conceded from a set piece," Slot added in comments to Sky Sports, emphasising a recurring and costly theme.
A Dressing Room in Despair
The manager painted a picture of a shattered squad in the aftermath, acknowledging the impact on everyone connected to the club. "I think every fan can understand what the mood was like in the dressing room," he said. "We're the only ones to blame."
While refusing to single out Konate for the penalty incident—calling it a "mistake from hard work"—Slot was unequivocal that the collective failure to defend simple situations is undermining their campaign. With this result, Liverpool have now failed to win eight of their opening 15 Premier League fixtures, a stark statistic for a team with championship aspirations.
The draw at Leeds leaves Liverpool with a mountain to climb if they are to re-enter the top-four conversation, with Slot's clear identification of the set-piece problem now presenting an urgent challenge for his coaching staff and players to solve.
