Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted his side struggled to cope with Manchester City’s tactical setup as they fell 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
City went into halftime with a two-goal advantage thanks to strikes from Erling Haaland and Nico Gonzalez, before Man of the Match Jeremy Doku sealed the victory with a spectacular third in the second half. The win brought Manchester City within four points of Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Speaking after the game, Slot reflected on his team’s difficulties:
“First half, they were dominating completely. We struggled a lot with the amount of players they bring in between the lines.
“We went 2-0 behind – then it is even harder – when you come here to change things around in the second half.”
On Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed goal, Slot added:
“Again, it was not a good performance from us in the first half. Again, it was a fair reflection of the first half that they were 2-0 up. But I cannot agree with the decision being made on that. For me, that is a goal. Immediately after the game, people showed me the goal City made away at Wolves last season.
“For me, that is a similar one. I was surprised because the first thing you do when you score, you look at the linesman – it took 14 seconds before he raised his flag. These things didn’t help us, but again, City being 2-0 up at half-time was a fair reflection of the score.”
Slot’s comments highlight the challenges Liverpool face in navigating the tactical complexities of the Premier League’s top sides as they aim to regain consistency in the title race.
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