Arne Slot Reflects on Merseyside Derby Drama
In the aftermath of a heated Merseyside derby, Liverpool’s manager Arne Slot has openly expressed his regret over his actions that led to his dismissal after the final whistle. The match, which ended in a 2-2 draw, was marred by a chaotic scene at Goodison Park, resulting in four red cards being issued. Slot, reflecting on the incident, admitted he would “do it differently” if given another chance.
The drama unfolded when referee Michael Oliver sent Slot off following a physical altercation involving Curtis Jones, Abdoulaye Doucouré, and players from both teams. The match had reached a fever pitch, with Everton’s James Tarkowski scoring a dramatic 98th-minute equalizer.
Slot now faces an anxious wait to learn if he will be charged by the Football Association, with a decision expected by Monday. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Slot explained, “What happened was the extra time additional five times it ended up being eight, the emotions got the better of me. If I could do that differently, I am hoping to do it differently next time as well.”
This was the first time Slot addressed the incident publicly, as Premier League rules prevented him from holding a post-match news conference on Wednesday due to his suspension. He elaborated, “Many things in extra time left me quite emotional. There was a VAR incident for two minutes where I thought maybe it could be a foul and then it could be offside. Many things happened, but like I said it wouldn’t be smart to go into every incident.”
Slot’s Take on Curtis Jones’ Actions
When questioned about Curtis Jones’ involvement, who pushed Doucouré after an interaction with Liverpool fans, Slot expressed admiration for Jones’ spirit but emphasized the need for a more measured approach. “I like a lot that he stands up for the team but there are other ways for the team and the fans to do that. I will talk with him about that,” Slot stated.
Slot acknowledged his own need for restraint, saying, “The same for me, I should have acted differently after the game as well. But it’s an emotional sport as well and sometimes individuals make the wrong decision and that’s definitely what I did.”
Red Cards and Reactions
- Doucouré and Jones were also shown red cards by referee Michael Oliver, as was Liverpool assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff.
- Both Liverpool and Everton condemned the racist abuse received by Doucouré following the game, describing it as “reprehensible” and that it would “not be tolerated.”
The match saw Liverpool fall behind early due to Beto‘s finish, but Alexis Mac Allister equalized with a header. Mohamed Salah seemed to have secured the win with a 73rd-minute goal before Tarkowski’s late strike.
Slot reflected on the outcome, saying, “It felt immediately after the referee blew his whistle that we lost two points. During the whole 98 minutes I didn’t feel constantly like we were the ones going to win the game. It felt like an equal game and that a draw would have been a fair result but with us leading after 97 minutes, we were quite close to winning so it felt as if we dropped two points.”
Despite the draw, Slot found positives, noting the team’s resilience and unity. “But think we won a lot on Wednesday as well. What I mean by that is when I look at the togetherness of the team, together with the fans, how much they fought together to get the result over the line. We’ve been praised so many times this season about how well these players can play but they showed a different side of themselves on Wednesday.”
He added, “In my opinion, they were also so much better than the year before [when Liverpool lost 2-0 at Goodison Park]. They were mentally so, so strong during a game that was played in the most difficult circumstances for them. To stay strong together, fight so hard to be so mentally strong, that gives me a lot of confidence for the upcoming 14 games.”
Liverpool currently sits seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table and is set to host Wolves at Anfield on Sunday. Slot remarked, “We would have loved to go nine points up, it would have been better than seven. We take a lot of positives from the game as well. Not football-wise because we didn’t play our best game in terms of ball possession but I have to give credit to David Moyes, since he’s come in he’s done a tremendous job and made it really hard for us.”
He concluded, “We were mentally much stronger than last season, we went 1-0 down and were leading until the 97th minute.”
Originally Written by: ESPN
