Liverpool head coach Arne Slot cut a frustrated figure after his side’s 2-1 home defeat to Manchester City on Sunday night, admitting anger and disappointment while questioning key refereeing decisions that he felt went against his team.
The loss, settled by an injury-time Erling Haaland penalty at Anfield, overshadowed what Slot believed was another clear sign of Liverpool’s growing progress under his leadership.
The Reds had made a positive start to the contest, taking the lead through Dominik Szoboszlai before Bernardo Silva levelled for City. While Slot acknowledged that the visitors were more comfortable in possession during the opening half, he felt Liverpool’s development over recent months was evident, particularly after the interval.
“Yeah, a feeling of anger, a feeling of disappointment, of course,” Slot said. “First half, City were the better team on the pitch without creating that many big chances… But the improvement we have made since three or four months ago I think was visible for everyone.”
Slot was especially encouraged by Liverpool’s second-half response, describing it as a significant step forward against one of the league’s most dominant sides on the ball. He highlighted the team’s intensity and coordinated pressing as evidence of progress, even if the final outcome was harsh.
“Second half, our standards went up. Standards in terms of intensity. We were pressing them all over the place,” he said, adding that matching City off the ball represented “a big improvement” for his squad.
However, the decisive moments late in the game left Slot visibly aggrieved. City were awarded a penalty after Szoboszlai was sent off for pulling Haaland’s shirt as the striker broke through on goal, a decision Slot accepted as technically correct. His frustration centred instead on what he viewed as inconsistency earlier in the match.
“I can live with the fact… that the referee follows the rulebook and Dominik makes a foul on Haaland,” Slot explained. “So that’s a red card.”
The Liverpool boss then turned his focus to an earlier incident involving Marc Guehi and Mohamed Salah, which he felt warranted similar punishment.
“If you follow the rulebook and you have a clear shirt-pull from (Marc) Guehi on Mo Salah… and that is not a red card, then there is more of my frustration,” Slot said.
