Liverpool’s unbeaten start to the season came to a halt at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace struck late to hand the champions a 2-1 defeat.
Federico Chiesa’s late equaliser had given the Reds hope, but Eddie Nketiah’s stoppage-time winner ensured the afternoon ended in frustration.
Arne Slot faced the media post-match and did not shy away from addressing the issues that cost his side.
His words revealed both concern and determination, raising questions about how Liverpool will respond in their title defence.
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Slot reflects on mistakes, missed chances and costly set-pieces
Slot admitted Liverpool were second best for long spells, especially in the opening half (via Liverpool FC).
“A disappointing first half and a disappointing end of the game,” he said.
Palace created several clear chances, with Alisson Becker called upon to keep the Reds in contention.
“They deserved to be up two or three goals in the first half,” Slot conceded.
The coach praised his team’s improvement after the break, highlighting the wave of opportunities created before Chiesa’s leveller.
But he was equally blunt about the manner of the defeat.
“To concede another set-piece goal is as disappointing as our first half was,” he said.
Asked whether Liverpool had pushed too hard for the win after equalising, Slot pointed to one moment of poor decision-making:
“One of our players decided to run out because he wanted to play a counter-attack, which was of no use because time was up. Maybe we were too offensively minded… which led to them scoring the winner.”
Defensive frailties were a theme in Slot’s assessment. He rejected the idea of set-pieces being the only issue, instead pointing to Palace’s multiple threats.
“They had chances from open play, from transition. There were more things not to like today than only defending set-pieces,” he explained.
On the attacking side, Slot reflected on Alexander Isak’s performance and his decision to keep the forward on the pitch for 84 minutes.
The Dutchman stressed that the game’s low tempo allowed him to use his striker longer, noting Isak came close to scoring.
Slot also explained why he turned to Cody Gakpo at half-time.
“We wanted to overload the midfield with Florian Wirtz in the first half – that’s why we didn’t start with Cody. But if you’re 1-0 down and you need a goal, you prefer to have width on both sides – and that’s why we brought Cody in.” he said.
The switch gave Liverpool greater balance and helped spark their second-half response.
Slot pointed out the positives from Liverpool’s second-half display but admitted lessons must be learned quickly if the Reds want to stay on top of the title race.
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