Arne Slot insists Liverpool must defend their Carabao Cup crown after securing a place in the last four following a 2-1 win over Southampton at St Mary’s.
Despite a much-changed side, Slot’s side emerged victorious thanks to first-half strikes from Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott on a rainy south coast night.
Cameron Archer halved the deficit on the hour mark as Southampton, under interim boss Simon Rusk after Russell Martin was sacked on Sunday, produced a lively second-half display.
But it was the holders, and current Premier League leaders, who progressed, with Slot stressing the importance of retaining the trophy after the match.
“We have to defend the trophy because the club won it last season,” Slott told Sky Sports.
“I wasn’t involved, but the players were and Jurgen (Klopp) and his staff, of course.
“We want to compete in every cup, so we are happy to have reached the semi-final. It’s always a tough competition, but this time it’s for sure.”
“We have to defend the trophy” 🏆
Arne Slot shares his thoughts as Liverpool progress to Carabao Cup semi-finals 💭 pic.twitter.com/1GMEHTeL0X
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) December 18, 2024
Slott, who was handed a touchline ban following his third yellow card of the season in the 2-2 draw with Fulham, watched the game from high in the stands.
And the Liverpool boss was largely pleased with his side’s performance, but admitted that their standards fell at times.
“The first half was really good,” Slot said. “Good performance, we played very well.
“But it wasn’t a complete surprise to concede the goal because I think before that we started to get a bit sloppy. We missed one or two easy balls.”
The Reds return to league action on Sunday when they make the trip to Tottenham, who face Manchester United in the last of the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Thursday night.
