Slot on worst run as Liverpool boss: ‘Fine margins’

LONDON — Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said he believes “fine margins” cost his team in their late 2-1 defeat to Chelsea but admits the decision-making of his side needs to improve.

Substitute Estêvão scored a winner for the hosts in the 95th minute at Stamford Bridge after earlier goals from Moisés Caicedo and Cody Gakpo.

It marks the first time in Slot’s tenure that Liverpool have lost three successive games, following defeats to Crystal Palace and Galatasaray.

– Dramatic Chelsea win makes statement, raises a question: Are Liverpool in crisis?
– Caballero: Win boosts bond with Maresca and fans

“Last season we lost against Chelsea as well,” Slot said. “Stamford Bridge is always difficult. We were very close to a result. Small margins. As I said at Galatasaray, we had a one-vs.-one then they get a penalty. We concede in extra, extra time against Palace. And then today they score a goal that could go at either end.”

“After we scored 1-1 it went our way and I think I was waiting for us to score the second. Decision-making could’ve been better, last 10-15 minutes was end-to-end. We arrived in their 18-yard box with [Andy] Robertson, we couldn’t control the ball but again it’s fine margins like it’s been for as long as I’ve been here.

“Last week, same as this week two difficult away games, the fine margins haven’t been in our favour.”

Having conceded in the 97th minute against Palace, Liverpool become just the fifth team in Premier League history to lose multiple games to goals scored in the 90th minute or later in the span of seven days.

Liverpool, who drop to second in the Premier League table, also face a nervous wait over the fitness of defender Ibrahima Konaté, who was substituted in the second half.

Slot said: “I don’t know if it is a big injury, but what I do know is he limped a little bit and when I asked him he said he felt his quad a little bit.

“Then, for me, all alarm bells go off because in another sprint you never know if that is going to go good.

“It was also already a substitution I had in mind, maybe for a few minutes or a little bit later, because the right centre-back had a lot of ball possession and we needed to create from that position. We all know Ryan [Gravenberch] is quite good in that.

“It might be OK that he went off early enough but it was clear I had to take him off because he was limping.”

Information from ESPN Research was used in this report.