Arne Slot admits Liverpool job pressure following Brighton defeat
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted his position is under pressure following a 2-1 Premier League defeat against Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
Danny Welbeck’s clinical double consigned the reigning champions to a third consecutive league match without a victory.
The result casts fresh doubt over their ability to secure Champions League qualification for next season.
European ambitions and domestic struggles
The Reds have enjoyed significantly better fortunes in knockout competitions this term.
They face Paris St-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals next month and will meet Manchester City in the FA Cup.
However, the Dutchman stressed that returning the club to Europe’s elite competition next year remains the absolute priority.
“There is always pressure at Liverpool – on me, on the players. That is completely normal.”
The 46-year-old acknowledged a worrying trend of dropping domestic points immediately following European fixtures.
This latest setback arrived just three days after a convincing 4-0 victory over Galatasaray at Anfield.
“It is clear that we have lost a lot of points after playing in Europe. I have tried to explain a lot of times already why this is but today we also have to give credit to Brighton – in the second half, they were the better team on the pitch.”
Historical lows for the reigning champions
Saturday’s result means the Merseyside club have now reached double figures for league defeats for the first time in a decade.
They have suffered more losses in this campaign than in their previous two seasons combined.
They also become the first defending champions to lose 10 of their subsequent league matches since Chelsea during the 2017-18 season.
Taking aim at the critics
The Liverpool boss also used his post-match media duties to hit back at pundits questioning the club’s recruitment strategy.
Critics have heavily scrutinised the squad’s struggles despite substantial summer spending and a mounting injury crisis.
“Certain pundits don’t want to tell you we sold £300m.”
The former Feyenoord manager pointed to key absences, including an unnamed £150m signing and defender Giovanni Leoni, as major mitigating factors.
He noted that recent recruit Jeremie Frimpong is now fully available to feature alongside goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
“It makes complete sense when you win the league last season and you spent £150m, not £450m, that the expectations are high.”
