Joe Gomez believes “avoidable” errors have been a big reason for Liverpool’s struggles this season, with the Reds slipping up at key moments in games.
Arne Slot‘s men lost 4-2 away to Aston Villa on Friday evening, blowing the chance to secure a place in next season’s Champions League.
At 1-1, Liverpool arguably looked in pole position to win the game, only for a Dominik Szoboszlai error to gift Ollie Watkins a goal.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com after the match, Gomez rued the Reds’ penchant for shooting themselves in the foot throughout the season.
“Yeah, in so many ways,” Gomez said.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - Friday, May 15, 2026: Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai reacts to conceding their side's fourth goal during the FA Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Liverpool FC at Villa Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“We cost ourselves a big opportunity today. We know that.
“It sums up our year, with it being in our hands and errors that are avoidable at pivotal points in the game where we could have got momentum.
“At the end of the day, it’s still in our hands [qualifying for the Champions League], the goal remains the same.
“We’ve just got to do the job next week now.”
Gomez further discussed the manner in which Liverpool went 2-1 down just when they had gained some control, and their inability to defend set-pieces.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - Friday, May 15, 2026: Liverpool's goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili reacts to conceding the first goal during the FA Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Liverpool FC at Villa Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“It felt that way, it felt we had control,” he added.
“It’s just frustrating because it’s lapses in concentration. Something that’s highlighted, we know: they’re great at set-pieces.
“They’ve got a reputation for doing routines and doing things outside the box, and we knew that. We had to be focused.
“It’s fine margins in the Premier League and that adds to it [the frustration]. It is what it is now, we can’t sit here and feel sorry for ourselves, we just have to do the job.
“We know what we have to do next weekend and we have to beat Brentford at home.”
Liverpool a shadow of last season’s ruthless champions
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - Friday, May 15, 2026: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister reacts to conceding the first goal during the FA Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Liverpool FC at Villa Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
It is truly painful watching Liverpool this season, with the Reds’ Premier League title defence becoming incomprehensibly bad.
Last term, they went about their business with ruthless efficiency at both ends of the pitch, allowing the title to be all but wrapped up before their form dipped.
But this time around, Liverpool are not only wasteful in the final third, but guilty of gifting opponents goals at an alarming rate.
Watkins’ first goal of the night perfectly summed up the Reds’ season, with Szoboszlai’s slip punished.
While Szoboszlai was unlucky, these errors have happened far too often to be a coincidence now, and it all points towards a lack of focus and coaching.
Drastic improvements are needed in this aspect of Liverpool’s game moving forward, but is Slot the man to solve the issue?