Arne Slot admitted that Liverpool “crumbled and struggled” after his side went 2-1 down to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Friday night.
The Reds missed out on the chance to secure qualification for the UEFA Champions League when they lost 4-2 at Villa Park.
Virgil van Dijk cancelled out Morgan Rogers’ first-half opener shortly after the interval, but it took just five minutes for Ollie Watkins to restore the host’s lead.
The striker scored again in the 73rd minute before John McGinn curled one in late on to ru salt in Liverpool’s wounds. Van Dijk scored his second of the night in stoppage time but it proved too little, too late.
Villa have now leapfrogged Liverpool into fourth in the Premier League table and ensured they will be playing in Europe’s elite competition next season. Although the Merseyside outfit are still likely to finish inside the top five, they must beat Brentford on the final day of the campaign to make absolutely sure.
Arne Slot admits Liverpool ‘crumbled’ against Aston Villa
When asked if it was a mentality issue that cost his side, Slot told Sky Sports: “Now you are referring to the period where we struggled after the 2-1, but overall I don’t think the players deserve what you are saying.
“They did cope with this difficult away game and were fully in the game and able to maybe get a result. But I agree with you, after the 2-1 we crumbled, and we struggled.
“In the end we came back to 4-2, so they did not give up, but we struggled to control their pace, intensity and quality.”
Liverpool have conceded 52 goals this season, the most they have ever let in in a 38-game Premier League campaign.
