Fabrizio Romano: Liverpool lose 4-2 at Aston Villa before next-week demand
fabrizio romano's key post-match note from Villa Park was simple: Liverpool left with a 4-2 defeat and Arne Slot saying they now need a win next week if they are to handle the job themselves. It was Liverpool's final away game of the Premier League season, and the result leaves no room for another stumble.
Aston Villa Hit Liverpool Early
Morgan Rogers put Aston Villa ahead on the stroke of half-time, and Virgil van Dijk brought Liverpool level early in the second period. The match tilted again when Ollie Watkins scored twice and John McGinn added a curler, turning the game into a 4-2 loss for Liverpool before Van Dijk headed in his second goal in stoppage time.
Slot’s Set-Piece Concern
Slot did not hide the scale of the setback. “Damaging because we needed either a win or maybe, maybe, maybe two draws would have been enough as well. But now we know one thing for sure – that we need a win next week if we have to do it ourselves.”
He added, “It's frustrating because as a manager you're also responsible for if things happen time and time again.” Liverpool scored two set-pieces at Aston Villa but conceded three set-pieces, and Slot said the team have a negative balance in set-pieces against Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa.
Liverpool’s Injury Strain
Slot also pointed to the wider strain on the squad. “If you miss nine players that can start a game of football and almost all of them are starters for us, or have been for large parts of the season starters for us, then if you add that to what you can improve in a window and add that to players that are playing for the second season in the Premier League – and I think we saw the adaptation to the Premier League for a few of them took some time, but that's now better and better – that will automatically lead to much more, but that's my opinion and no-one has to agree with me.”
That leaves Liverpool with one clear target next week: win and control their own outcome. The margin at Villa Park was not just the 4-2 scoreline, but the way set pieces and missing starters fed into a result Slot called damaging.
