Arne Slot’s Liverpool 26-game unbeaten run in the Premier League came to a crashing halt on Sunday as they were beaten 3-2 by Fulham at Craven Cottage. Despite taking an early lead through Alexis Mac Allister, the league leaders were undone by defensive lapses that allowed Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi, and Rodrigo Muniz to score in a chaotic first half.
Luis Díaz’s second-half goal gave the Reds hope of a comeback, but their late pressure proved fruitless. This was Liverpool’s first league defeat since September, and while their title ambitions remain intact — still leading the table by 11 points with seven matches remaining — the loss raises questions about the team’s defensive solidity and matchday focus.
Head coach Arne Slot, however, was quick to reject the notion that complacency had crept into his team. He emphasized that Liverpool’s success this season has been built on hard work and resilience, not overconfidence.
Arne Slot: “No Complacency in This Squad”
Speaking after the defeat, Arne Slot was firm in his assessment that complacency was not the cause of the setback. “There’s no reason for us to be complacent,” Slot said. “We’re not number one in the league because we win every game by three or four goals. It takes so much effort, so much hard work combined with quality for us to win games.”
Arne Slot drew comparisons with Manchester City’s recent dominance, noting that unlike their rivals, Liverpool often have to grind out wins. “The team that won the league for the past four seasons was already 3-0 up at half-time in almost every game. That’s not the case for us,” he explained. “We are fully aware we need to compete for seven more games.”
He pointed out that narrow margins often determine results and acknowledged that this time, the mistakes proved costly. “Today was a close call. Many times we’ve been on the right side, today we were on the wrong side mainly because of the errors we made,” Slot admitted.
No Regrets Over Team Selection and Rotation
Arne Slot also faced criticism over his team selection, having made just one change to the starting eleven that defeated Everton midweek. However, he dismissed suggestions that fatigue contributed to the loss or that he should have rotated more players against Fulham.
“There were four days in between and we’ve shown many times this season that’s not a problem for us,” Slot said. “I don’t think the errors we made had anything to do with players being tired.” He argued that the goals conceded were more a result of isolated defensive errors than systemic fatigue.
He also acknowledged that despite the scoreline, Liverpool had controlled much of the first half. “After half an hour I looked at the scoreboard and it was 1-1. I was like: ‘Okay, not our best game, but we have control.’ All of a sudden I blinked my eyes and we were 3-1 down,” he said, illustrating how quickly momentum shifted.
Defensive Errors Undermine Liverpool’s Dominance
Despite dominating possession and creating several chances, Liverpool were undone by uncharacteristic errors at the back. Slot was candid in his appraisal of the defensive mishaps, describing them as anomalies rather than evidence of poor play.
“It wasn’t 45 minutes of disaster,” Arne Slot insisted. “But the errors we made are something we’re not used to. That’s different than playing poorly in my opinion. Of course it disappoints me, the players and the fans.”
He noted that his players often work hard to recover from mistakes, but sometimes those efforts backfire. “For their second goal, the players tried to make up for an earlier error but unfortunately, instead of the ball going behind for a corner, it deflected into the net,” he explained. “This can happen, especially when you play a good team like Fulham. They had the quality to punish us.”
Late Rally Falls Short Despite Dominance
Liverpool came out fighting in the second half, and the introduction of Luis Díaz added much-needed urgency and flair. His goal reduced the deficit and sparked a wave of attacks from the visitors. However, Fulham’s defense held firm under sustained pressure in the closing stages.
“In the second half we created so many chances we could have made up for it but we lacked time,” Arne Slot lamented. “In the last 20 to 25 minutes it was clear to everyone that we could have scored a third goal. That’s why actual playing time wasn’t the most in those final 25 minutes.”
Despite the defeat, Liverpool remain well-positioned in the title race. With seven games to go and an 11-point cushion, Slot will hope the loss serves as a wake-up call rather than a derailment of their campaign. The Reds will need to rediscover their focus quickly as the title race enters its final stretch.
