Arne Slot insisted that his Liverpool team has been unlucky at times so far this season ahead of facing Sunderland — and reiterated that claim in the aftermath, with the Reds now in eighth spot in the Premier League standings.
At the weekend, the Reds won 2-0 at the London Stadium against a poor West Ham United. Midweek, they then drew 1-1 against the high-flying Black Cats.
"We’ve been not as bad as people said we were," Slot told Sky Sports before his side took on Regis Le Bris' side. "We have to do certain things definitely better than we did, but so many games we’ve played, the first chance for the opponent went in.
"So many games we missed multiple chances. We’ve been very unlucky to go behind in certain games with moments.
"So for example, the Manchester United game, one of our players needs four stitches and the referee doesn’t blow his whistle. Every other time a referee will blow his whistle for a head injury...
"But we need to do better in certain situations. But we’ve done better in my opinion, over the course of the game, than the general opinion is.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot during his side's Champions League game with PSV.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot during his side's Champions League game with PSV. (Image: Ryan Crockett/DeFodi via Getty Images)
"That’s why the West Ham game, for the first time, the first chance of the other team didn’t go in. Fortunately for us, it was the only chance, and it happened after 90 minutes, but if [Jarrod] Bowen scores, then I think we’d have been criticized a lot again.
"The score has so much impact on what people think about the game. It’s my job to look through those results."
Against Sunderland, Liverpool drew a game for the first time this season. Coming from behind thanks to a Florian Wirtz-forced own-goal, Chemsdine Talbi's opener was canceled out.
"There is a reason why we couldn't beat them and why other teams have struggled to beat them," Slot said on Sky Sports post-match.
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"Not a lot of chances for both teams. We were very unlucky in the second half. In one moment, we conceded, but we came back strong.
"A game where we didn't concede a lot or create a lot and were really unlucky with the goal we conceded. It was a deflection and could have gone anywhere but in the period we are in, it went in."
While it is a period where things have gone against Liverpool, the Reds created very little at Anfield on Wednesday. At no point was Sunderland under sustained pressure that felt likely to result in a goal.
Slot's team took 23 shots, for instance, but they were worth a combined expected goals (xG) total of just 1.37. At 0.06 xG per shot on average, that is the lowest for Liverpool in a Premier League game where it has posted 20-plus attempts at Anfield since January 2016.