Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat against Brentford was the “worst” of their four-game losing streak in the Premier League, according to manager Arne Slot. The Reds were unable to build on their thumping Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek, with the Dutchman saying their latest reverse was more damning than the defeats against Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Frankfurt win proved to be false dawn for Slot and Liverpool
Having come from behind to record an impressive win in Frankfurt on Wednesday, the result ultimately proved to be a false dawn for Slot’s side. The reigning league champions were put to the sword by Brentford trio Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago as Keith Andrews’ men earned all three points at the Gtech Community Stadium. Milos Kerkez and Mohamed Salah responded in either half for Liverpool but they were unable to find a third goal as they slipped to another defeat in the top flight.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportSlot labels Brentford defeat as the 'worst' in Reds' losing run
In a loss which has brought further question marks regarding Liverpool’s title credentials, Slot has since labelled the Brentford defeat as the most concerning in his side’s poor run of form.
"You cannot compare all of them [the four league defeats] but the most concerning thing is that you lose four times in a row,” Slot told after the game. “Afterwards you can judge the performance and today was the worst in my opinion from all the four. Again, conceding a set-piece and not scoring one makes it hard to win a game of football.
"We didn't do the basics right in the first half and parts of the second.
"They won more duels than us, they won more second balls than us and if you come here and you know if you are going to concede goals then one of them may be a set-piece and a counter-attack is also one of their biggest strengths and that's how we conceded two goals.”
Dutchman felt Liverpool were 'unlucky' to concede penalty
Despite branding the defeat as the worst in what is a troubling period for Liverpool, Slot felt his team were unlucky to concede the penalty which led to Thiago’s all-important winner for Brentford. The Bees were awarded the spot kick after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) adjudged defender Virgil van Dijk had fouled forward Ouattara inside the box, with replays showing the incident occurred on the line of the penalty area.
Slot said: ”We were unlucky with the penalty we conceded. I'm not sure the referee would have given them the penalty if he thought it was inside the box at the time. He thought it was a soft contact, but it was outside the box. Let's give them a free-kick, but it turned out to be inside, so the VAR had to overturn it, as that's his job.
"After going 3-1 down, we tried, made some substitutes, but maybe if I am completely honest, them scoring at that moment in time was more likely than us to make it 3-2.”
Getty Images SportEx-Liverpool man McManaman tells Slot what he should do next
In a summer which saw Liverpool attempt to build on last season’s title victory by signing a host of new players, including the eye-catching arrivals of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, Slot’s new-look side have struggled to click of late. And speaking after the final whistle at Brentford, former Reds midfielder Steve McManaman urged Slot to go back to the players he trusts in a bid to arrest the club’s sudden slide.
"They have to get back to what they did last year, playing as a unit and together,” McManaman told “It's all hit-and-miss at this moment in time. Everybody is running around all over the place, and they're not solid in midfield.
"They're trying to jam players in there when they should probably be taken out of the side and left at the moment. Slot has to go back to the players he really trusts and knows can do it.
"Liverpool have home games coming up and they have to turn this around. They had all the platitudes last season, when they were winning the league easily. Now, they have to take the criticism on the chin and they have to respond.”