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Beth Lindop
LIVERPOOL, England — Following a 1-1 draw against newly-promoted Sunderland at Anfield on Wednesday, Arne Slot remarked that his Liverpool side has lost its previously formidable reputation.
The current Premier League champions fell behind after a second-half goal from Chemsdine Talbi, but managed to equalize thanks to a deflected shot from Florian Wirtz, which took a deflection off Nordi Mukiele.
This draw leaves Liverpool without a victory in their last three home games across all competitions, following previous defeats against Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven.
When asked if he felt Anfield had lost its intimidating atmosphere, Slot stated: “Certainly not for Anfield, but it’s evident that teams now believe they can come here and secure a result. This season has demonstrated that, as even in our victories we’ve inadvertently boosted the confidence of other teams. The early wins weren’t easily obtained.”
Slot made the controversial decision to keep Mohamed Salah on the bench for the second match in a row, although the Egyptian did come on for Cody Gakpo at halftime.
Regarding his substitution choice, Slot explained: “I believed Cody struggled with one-on-one duels, and to score against a team pressing high requires a moment of brilliance or a set piece. Cody wasn’t able to provide that spark today. In the first half, we had Dominik Szoboszlai playing on the right, and I switched Mo to the right side and Wirtz to the left. We hardly conceded, yet it was challenging to create a moment of flair.”
This result leaves Liverpool in eighth place, with 22 points from 14 matches, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal, but just two points away from the top four in the Premier League.
Next, Slot’s team will travel to take on Leeds United on December 6.