Arne Slot is facing criticism after Liverpool lost 2-1 to Manchester United on Sunday to fall to a fourth defeat in a row with the Premier League champions in crisis
Theo Squires
10:19, 21 Oct 2025Updated 10:24, 21 Oct 2025
Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, looks dejected
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Slot has been criticised for Liverpool's loss to Manchester United on Sunday(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
If Liverpool were banking on the international break to help halt their recent losing streak, they were sorely mistaken. The Reds suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United on Sunday, marking their fourth consecutive loss under Arne Slot.
Harry Maguire scored a late header for the Red Devils, securing their first victory at Anfield since 2016 and leaving Liverpool ruing another last-minute defeat - their third in as many Premier League matches.
Despite bringing in eight new senior players during the summer and splashing out £450m - including breaking the British transfer record twice to sign Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak - Slot's revamped team has yet to find its rhythm. Their recent poor form has seen them slip to fourth in the Premier League table.
But despite Liverpool's ongoing struggles, several of their players had successful international breaks before their disappointing return to club duty against Manchester United.
Cody Gakpo netted three goals and provided an assist for the Netherlands in their matches against Malta and Finland, with Virgil van Dijk also finding the back of the net in the latter game, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Arne Slot walks off the pitch after Liverpool's defeat to Manchester United
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Arne Slot walks off the pitch after Liverpool's defeat to Manchester United(Image: Getty Images)
Dominik Szoboszlai scored a last-minute equaliser and set up a goal in Hungary's 2-2 draw with Portugal, while Alexis Mac Allister bagged a brace in Argentina's 6-0 friendly victory over Puerto Rico.
Hugo Ekitike claimed an assist on his full debut for France against Azerbaijan, while Andy Robertson played a key role in Scotland's 2-1 triumph over Belarus by setting up the winning goal.
And Mohamed Salah netted two goals in Egypt's 3-0 win against Djibouti as they secured their spot in next summer's World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. His double also saw him become the outright leading goalscorer in African qualification history.
However, back at Liverpool, it was another challenging day for Salah as he missed a clear opportunity from close range against United, before being substituted late in the game when his team needed a goal.
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Salah continues to face criticism for his lacklustre performance with the Reds so far this season, but he isn't the only one under scrutiny.
Despite leading Liverpool to Premier League glory in his inaugural season after succeeding Jurgen Klopp, Slot has also been on the receiving end of negative comments from disgruntled fans - particularly on social media platforms.
Some supporters have even criticised the Dutch manager for spending his international break holidaying in Dubai.
However, this doesn't mean Slot completely disconnected from Liverpool's issues back in Merseyside during his trip.
On the contrary, the Daily Mail reports that sources close to Slot claim he spent a significant portion of his holiday strategising how to improve his team's recent form, and spent a significant amount of time analysing clips on his laptop.
Arne Slot, head coach of Liverpool, during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield
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Arne Slot, head coach of Liverpool, during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield(Image: 2025 Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA)
Whilst that may not have galvanised Liverpool to bounce back against United, it's evident that the Reds' manager is resolute in his mission to turn around his team's stuttering form as he tackles what he's already acknowledged as one of the most daunting tests of his coaching journey.
"I think as a manager you face constantly challenges," he reflected following the defeat to United. "When I just started, you face the challenge of being a new manager and then you need to win games.
"Then when you do well you go to a bigger club and people are like, 'Oh, let's see how he does over there.' Then you go to be the successor of Jurgen Klopp and people say this is the biggest challenge you ever faced.
"Now we have lost four times in a row and that's also a challenge. So, the life of a football manager is an ongoing challenge. If you win games you want to keep winning, if you lose games you want to start winning again.
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"Do we lose confidence? I cannot see it yet, because every single game we've lost, we were able to create in the second half an unbelievable amount of chances.
"If you look back at all the three games we've lost in the Premier League, if you just put all the highlights [next to] each other, you would say it's hardly possible that they lose this game.
"So if we can keep producing what we are doing and do a few things a little bit better, then there is every reason to expect that we start to win football games again.
"But I cannot promise you that on Wednesday evening we are again able to create eight, nine or 10 open chances. I hope so, and with the players we have then it will lead in the end to us scoring more goals."
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Liverpool get back to business away at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday as their Champions League campaign continues.