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Beth Lindop
After the match, Arne Slot expressed disappointment over Liverpool‘s goalless stalemate against Leeds United, despite his team maintaining an unbeaten streak that has now reached eight games across all competitions.
Liverpool dropped additional points at Anfield, struggling to break down a well-organized Leeds side led by Daniel Farke. They remain in fourth place, six points behind third-placed Aston Villa, after also being held to a 3-3 draw by Leeds in their previous encounter last month.
After the match, Slot noted the parallels with previous games, stating, “The last time we faced them, we conceded in extra time, but both matches ended in draws, which is disappointing.”
“This season, despite having plenty of possession, we create chances, but it often feels insufficient. We could, and should, create more opportunities given our expected goal metrics,” he added.
“We came close with Virgil [Van Dijk] today, but unfortunately, we didn’t convert. While it’s commendable that we managed to maintain a clean sheet, it’s disheartening that we ended without a win.”
Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike felt he should have been awarded a penalty in the first half when Jaka Bijol made contact with him in the box, but referee Chris Kavanagh ruled it as fair play.
“In the first half, there was a clear moment where we could have gone down, but we hesitated, knowing that we rarely get decisions when we do,” Slot remarked. “We see other teams getting fouls in similar situations, but our players tend to stay on their feet. Throughout the season, we’ve gone down under fouls and still not received penalties.”
“This is part of our identity as a team. Against West Ham, Lucas Paquetá tried to elicit a second yellow card, and even Alisson, who plays alongside him for the national team, did his best to avoid a booking. In the end, he did receive a second yellow in that match.”
“If fans or analysts closely monitor the matches, they will observe several incidents where we went down and received nothing. Ultimately, it’s simply who we are as a squad.”
Liverpool will next face Fulham on Sunday at Craven Cottage.