Liverpool: Arne Slot makes worrying admission after Brentford defeat

The Reds have now lost four consecutive Premier League matches

Arne Slot branded Liverpool ’s loss to Brentford as his side’s worst performance of their losing run.

Familiar problems resurfaced for Liverpool as they struggled to break Brentford down at the Gtech Community Stadium. They fell to a 3-2 defeat, their fourth successive Premier League loss.

Slot cut a dejected figure as he dissected his side’s performance.

“Today, in my opinion, was the worst from all the four losses we had,” he told TNT Sports. “Conceding a set piece and not scoring one makes it hard for us to win a game of football.”

He continued, saying he felt Liverpool were the better side for a brief stretch in the first-half, but that Brentford deserved the win on balance.

“Apart from 20, 25, 30 minutes in the first half. We were already 1-0 down at that moment in time, but in those 25 or 30 minutes, I thought a result was possible.

“The rest of the game, looking at the scoreline, the way we played, the way Brentford played and how hard they fought for the result, I don’t think it was ever in the game for us to get a result.

“I think we didn’t do the basics right, especially the first half, but parts of the second half as well. They won more duels than us, more second balls than us.

“If you go here, if you are going to concede goals, it is no surprise that one of them will be from a set-piece because this is one of their big strengths. Apart from that, it is the counter-attack, and this is how we conceded two goals.

Mohamed Salah pulled a consolation goal back for Liverpool as the match wound down, but Slot said he needed his defenders to match the quality of his attack if the Reds are to arrest their losing run.

“If Mo is going to go on a scoring run, it is definitely going to be good for the team. Football is about scoring goals, but it is also about not conceding goals.

“For many games now we have conceded one, two, three goals, and every time also in the first five minutes.

“Yeah, it would definitely help the team if we have players that score the goals, but that only helps if we are able as a team to keep a clean sheet, because keeping a clean sheet is something that we as a team have to do.”