By LEWIS STEELE, FOOTBALL REPORTER
Published: 14:08 EST, 4 January 2026 | Updated: 14:08 EST, 4 January 2026
Arne Slot defended Liverpool’s lack of creativity after they were pegged back to another dismal draw to start 2026.
After a 0-0 result against Leeds on New Year’s Day, the champions could only manage a point at Fulham after Harrison Reed’s spectacular 97th-minute equaliser came just minutes after Cody Gakpo thought he had won it in stoppage time.
It takes the Reds to nine matches unbeaten but they have lacked ideas in front of goal during that run.
Asked if Liverpool have sacrificed attacking flair for defensive solidity, Slot said: ‘I didn't change as a manager, I would love to play with eight attackers if that's possible defensively but if those eight attackers don't defend enough, it's hard to win a game of football.’
He had earlier said: ‘Do you think we created more when we were conceding more goals? I wonder if that is true. Like I said, I would love to create five times as many chances as we do now and not concede a chance at all.
‘But I do know the time we were playing either with different players or more open that I don't think we created that many more chances but we conceded much more. Unfortunately, we don't concede a lot of chances in terms of chances but goal-wise, maybe not a lot of chances.’
Slot defended Liverpool’s lack of creativity after they were pegged back to another draw
The champions could only manage a point at Fulham after Harrison Reed’s spectacular 97th-minute equaliser came just minutes after Cody Gakpo thought he had won it in stoppage time
Slot was without top scorer Hugo Ekitike but is hopeful the Frenchman will return for the trip to Arsenal on Thursday.
Ekitike trained on Saturday but felt a hamstring problem and he was ruled out during the flight to London when scan results showed he had DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). It is only thought to be a minor issue, with Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah also unavailable.
Marco Silva was in a more upbeat mood and hailed hero Reed, who has been at the club for six years but has needed to be patient about game-time in recent months.
The Fulham boss said: ‘If you ask me right now if I put him on to score that goal, I would not say this! But it is something he is capable of doing. I told him I wanted some fresh legs and energy and the instructions were about set-pieces. The goal is total inspiration from him.
‘He has been in the club for six and a half years, what a professional he is. It has been very, very tough for him in terms of game time.
‘But he is a top professional, one of the biggest leaders in our group. I know he wants to play more. If someone deserves this moment, he does.
‘Losing that game would have been completely unfair for us.’