Slot Says Liverpool Only Have Themselves To Blame

• Liverpool led late at Fulham, then conceded again in stoppage time
• Arne Slot pointed to recurring late goals conceded and wasted points
• Slot also highlighted absences in attack and a stronger second half

Arne Slot said Liverpool have nobody else to fault after surrendering a late lead in a draw at Fulham.

Liverpool left Craven Cottage with one point after a game that swung repeatedly. Fulham went ahead through Harry Wilson. Florian Wirtz levelled just before the hour, following a controversial video assistant referee review. Cody Gakpo then scored in the 94th minute to put Liverpool in front. Harrison Reed struck from range deep into added time to make it two goals each.

“If it would have finished 1-1, then I would maybe still have been disappointed… but you are 2-1 up in extra time, and then you concede a goal, and it leads to 2-2,” Slot told the BBC’s Match of the Day. “We are disappointed with the outcome.”

Slot said Liverpool’s pattern this season has hurt them at key moments, with late concessions costing points.

“It is not for the first time this season that we have conceded in the final seconds of the game,” added Slot.

“So many points have disappeared for us. Of course, it is frustrating. It’s also frustrating that their first chance of the game goes in; that is also not the first time. Then they had a second chance when Alisson was out of his goal, and they chipped it on the bar.

“For the rest, I think it is quite good if you play an away game and barely concede a chance. It isn’t as if we created chance after chance; that was not the situation. But just before they scored for 1-0, we had a similar chance where we were close.

“Every time it’s just not enough. We relied on the whole season on good and bad luck, and that is something we have to improve.

“We have to improve so a shot in the last minute does not immediately lead to us losing points. That is what we are trying to do, but we have not done that yet.

“I liked our second half more than our first half. We controlled the game and a few times were close, of course, you always want more. That’s what we brought in the second half: two disallowed goals, hitting the bar, a goal, that is ideally what you want to see when you have so many attacking players out.”

Slot is currently without Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike through injury. Mohamed Salah is away with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Slot continued: “Once in a while, the boys should get a reward, but we do not get it, and once again, the only one to blame is ourselves.”

The draw left Liverpool fourth in the Premier League table, 14 points behind leaders Arsenal and eight behind Aston Villa in third. Manchester United sit fifth, three points back. Liverpool are unbeaten in eight league games, yet recent draws have slowed their climb, including a New Year’s Day match against Leeds and this late collapse at Fulham.