Arne Slot was pleased with a lot of how his Liverpool team played against Man City in the Premier League, but admitted the table "doesn't lie" amid the Champions League race
09:00, 09 Feb 2026
Arne Slot looks on prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City.
Arne Slot looks on prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City.(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot admits the "league table doesn't lie" with his side currently outside the Champions League places and 13 games remaining to pick up more points.
This weekend, Liverpool lost 2-1 at home to Manchester City despite going ahead through Dominik Szoboszlai's sensational goal. Bernardo Silva leveled before Erling Haaland netted the winner from the penalty spot.
With Manchester United and Chelsea both winning, Liverpool is playing catch-up even more ahead of its midweek trip to Sunderland, for which it will be without Szoboszlai following his late red card.
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OPINION
Author avatarMatt Addison
"That's what we are aware of," Slot told beIN Sports. "We know what the league table looks like.
"We know that now, after a game like this, we are mainly punished — although for this game, we deserved maybe more than we got. I've said so many times this season but at home against some other teams, that hurts us now more.
"But there are still a lot of games to be played. We show, in my opinion, we have improved a lot from three or four months ago when we played Manchester City.
Arne Slot reacts during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City.
Arne Slot reacts during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City.(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
"The second half, still being so powerful to press them all over the pitch, tells me how much improvement we have made.
"But the league table doesn't lie and there are not so many games to be played anymore. We have to keep bringing performances as we did [on Sunday] but with a different outcome."
Time is running out for Liverpool to make up ground and Manchester United, playing only one game a week, has a major advantage when it comes to the fixture schedule.
But Slot believes the second-half showing against Manchester City can offer some hope for his side.
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"We did not change that much in our off-the-ball work, but I think in the first half, you could see moments where we were really close to winning the ball back in a high press, which didn't happen yet," Slot said in his post-match press conference.
"You also know if you can keep bringing that same energy, both teams maybe get a little bit tired. Off the ball, it is not nice to be a bit tired, but on the ball as well you can start making passes that are not as clear and good as they were in the first half with City.
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"Then momentum is coming, fans are behind the team, you get a lot of energy and I think that's what we saw in the second half: [a] very good physical, mental performance from our players."
Liverpool.com says: Slot is right that the Reds have improved, but it was from a very low bar. Things need to get better again quickly, otherwise they will be in the Europa League (or worse) next season.