Arne Slot has barely put a foot wrong since he succeeded Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool last season.
The Dutchman took the Premier League by storm as he secured the Reds’ 20th league title, remaining relatively unopposed for the majority of his maiden campaign in England.
It has arguably never been more exciting to be a Liverpool fan, as Richard Hughes has worked tirelessly to overturn fan perception and prove his credentials by providing Slot with a star-studded side to compete on all fronts this year.
There is still room for further additions to be made – Jamie Carragher criticised the Reds’ defensive display in the Community Shield loss, as the need for more defensive depth could not be more apparent.
Former Liverpool player now a Sky TV pundit Jamie Carragher before the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool FC
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Slot got a few things wrong at Wembley, but the loss represents little more than a minor setback ahead of the club’s Premier League title defence.
However, there is a fatal error the Liverpool boss is guilty of committing that led to Crystal Palace’s triumph, and this is not the first time it has happened.
Arne Slot baffles with penalty-taker selection in Community Shield
As the Reds prepared for the penalty shootout at Wembley, the supporters within the stadium would have undoubtedly felt confident about their chances given the long list of established penalty takers in the Liverpool squad.
Jean Philippe-Mateta predicted Crystal Palace would win because of Justin Devenney, who scored the decisive spot-kick, but few would have predicted how ineffective the Premier League champions would prove to be from 12 yards.
Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister, and Harvey Elliott all failed to convert in the shootout in eerily similar circumstances to what played out against PSG in the Champions League.
Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones stepped up on the night at Anfield and saw their efforts saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma as the Reds crashed out of Europe, with Cody Gakpo, who converted at Wembley, and Virgil van Dijk denied the opportunity to take a spot-kick.
Liverpool FC v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 Second Leg
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Although Salah was expected to score at Wembley, Mac Allister had recently returned from injury, and Elliott is largely unproven from 12 yards. Meanwhile, reliable penalty taker Dominik Szoboszlai was the fourth player to step up, with Liverpool chasing the shootout, and van Dijk never stepped up.
It is a rule of thumb that the most established penalty takers are the first to step up, and Slot’s selection is proving costly – he has lost both of his only penalty shootouts since taking the reins at Anfield, costing two chances of silverware.
Mohamed Salah should be worried after his penalty miss
Salah skied his penalty against Athletic Bilbao over the crossbar and repeated the same trick at Wembley.
The Egyptian is the established penalty-taker at Anfield, but after missing consecutive spot-kicks in a similar manner, concerns are rising.
Crystal Palace v Liverpool - 2025 FA Community Shield
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Considering the Liverpool squad is brimming with specialists who can convert from 12 yards, who will undoubtedly be waiting in the wings to seize duties from Salah.
There is no doubt that Salah will step up again the next time Liverpool are awarded a penalty this season, but if he misses a third consecutive attempt, Slot will be forced to ask serious questions of his talisman.