The Reds boss opted to field a young side despite a miserable recent run of results
Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted it is “not Liverpool standards” to lose six games out of seven in all competitions after the Reds fell to a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup Fourth Round.
Last season’s finalists, who are enduring a miserable run of form, were comprehensively beaten at Anfield courtesy of a first-half Ismaila Sarr brace and a Yeremy Pino goal late on.
The win for Palace is their third in succession over Liverpool this season, following victory in the Community Shield and Premier League in September.
Oliver Glasner’s team march on to the quarter-finals, where they will face Arsenal at the Emirates.
The pressure appears to be mounting on Slot and his team. Next week will see Liverpool face Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Manchester City in the space of eight days in what could be a season-defining period for the reigning Premier League champions.
“It’s not Liverpool standards to lose five out of six [games], it’s not Liverpool standards to lose six out of seven,” Slot told Sky Sports.
“So the pressure might decrease a little bit but not so much because the pressure was already very high.”
Before kick-off, the Liverpool boss made it clear he would use the competition to blood some of the club’s younger players.
And sure enough, despite the team’s wretched run of the results, Slot stuck to his word, making 10 changes to the team that lost to Brentford at the weekend.
Slot doubled down on his decision after the game, and insisted his side’s upcoming fixtures do not have added weight because he believes his team are expected to win every time they take to the field.
He added: “Everyone can have an opinion about the squad we are using but we only have 15 or 16 first-team players available.
“For Liverpool, every game is a must-win.”
The Reds host Aston Villa on Saturday before welcoming European giants Real Madrid to Anfield on Tuesday in a mouth-watering Champions League encounter.
