On the face of it, Manchester City’s 4-0 win over Liverpool was as emphatic as it gets. But the frustration for Liverpool supporters is that it is the details that are costing their side. Arne Slot puts some of that down to misfortune. It is much more than that.The Liverpool head coach turned to his now familiar complaints about his side being punished for every mistake, while failing to take their chances at the other end. And it is true that the expected-goals data had this FA Cup quarter-final as a 2.44 versus 1.46 game.
Possession was shared. The teams had 11 shots each. And yet, it is not luck. It is a lack of attention to detail that keeps undermining Liverpool’s efforts. The fear is that this can now be seen as part of a wider trend, a slipping of the standards at Anfield this season.
“I think after they scored the 1-0 we were still in the game but then we had a throw-in,” Slot explained in the press conference afterwards. “Twice we conceded when we had a throw-in. And they go so fast, in those moments you have to defend sharper.”Sitting in that press conference, listening to Slot’s forthright exchange with journalist Ian Ladyman, football editor of the Daily Mail, it was striking that while the Dutchman could analyse exactly what had happened, he could not say how he would put it right.
On this specific point of throw-ins, that is particularly difficult to understand. Liverpool were among the first clubs in the Premier League to appreciate their importance fully. Jurgen Klopp appointed Thomas Gronnemark as the first specialist throw-in coach.
Speaking to Gronnemark earlier this season, he appeared genuinely baffled at what he was now seeing at Liverpool. He revealed he had analysed their Wembley defeat to Crystal Palace in August and saw a side who were unrecognisable with the ball in their hand.
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Slot responds to tough questions after Liverpool’s 4-0 defeat to Man City
“Liverpool had a possession on throw-ins under pressure of 33.3 per cent and that is really low,” he said. “Some would say it is just a throw-in. No, it is like any other football action on the pitch. If you have the ball, you can keep possession, have control, score a goal.”Tellingly, he added: “If you…
2026-04-05 10:50:00
