Arne Slot fumed over a VAR decision that went against Liverpool in their 3-2 loss to Manchester United, but the Dutch manager conceded his side must address their own frailties after conceding "ridiculous goals."
Benjamin Sesko's early strike, which put United 2-0 up, was checked for handball but allowed to stand. Slot slammed the consistency of VAR interventions, noting that throughout the season, crucial calls have repeatedly gone against his team. However, he acknowledged Liverpool's part in the defeat: "We lost it because we lost the ball in a stupid position. This is a complete pattern over the season — there is also a pattern that we concede ridiculous goals."
Former England striker Alan Shearer agreed with Slot's assessment, stating on BBC's Match of the Day: "I think it was handball. I don't want to see goals disallowed for that, but when they are applying the law it should have been disallowed."
Despite a spirited away support chanting "champions," the result underlined Liverpool's sharp decline from last season's title triumph. United, who finished 42 points behind Liverpool last term, completed a league double over their rivals for the first time since 2015-16. Liverpool have now lost 18 games in all competitions — the club's worst tally since 2009-10, Rafael Benitez's final season.
With a summer of change looming, Slot faces the task of rebuilding a side that has fallen from the summit, as defensive lapses and a lack of cutting edge continue to plague the Reds.