Liverpool manager Arne Slott has defended his side after two successive under-par performances but admits they need to be more clinical to prevent them relying on luck for the rest of the season.
A 2-2 draw with rivals Manchester United and a 1-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup took some of the shine off Slot’s excellent campaign.
But the Dutchman believes his side’s standards have not dipped as they prepare for an FA Cup clash with League Two side Accrington Stanley on Saturday at kick-time.
He said: “I think we’re still the same team, performance-wise.
“I’ve said many times, a lot of games we’ve won, maybe the only exception could be Chelsea, but everything else we’ve deserved to win, but never by a big margin, it’s always been very tight.
Jarell Quansah and Dominik Szoboszlai are set to return to contention for our Emirates FA Cup tie with Accrington Stanley 👊
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 10, 2025
“What can we improve? Increasing the margin, because otherwise you will always depend on a bit of luck or a bit of bad luck or certain decisions that the umpire will make.
“We have to make sure we don’t depend on those moments anymore and that’s the next step we want to take if we want to not depend on luck or bad luck.
“Because of results, people judge you on performance. It’s not often, if a team has a draw or a loss, people say they played really well.”
Liverpool last won the FA Cup in 2022 and have only played the Stanley Cup once before – a 2-0 win at Anfield in the 1956 FA Cup.
The Reds will likely make changes and reshuffle their squad, with Slot awaiting the availability of midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and defender Jarell Quansah.
He said: “Every game is an opportunity for them to get a chance to play. Dom trained with the under 21s yesterday.
“Jarrell was a bit ill last week, as a result of that I had to take him out for the Tottenham game, but I expect him to be available for tomorrow.
“Yes, we know we can use these players in every game and also in the one we have on Saturday.”
