13/08/2025

Read

iPaper at Malaysian Paper

www.thesun.my Free access to iPaper PDF Download

app from the App Store or Google Play TM . Malaysian Paper or download

SCAN ME

SCAN ME

WEDNESDAY | AUG 13, 2025

Malaysian Paper

Cause for concern

defeat against Palace. The Anfield legend expressed concern about the team’s involvement in high-scoring games ahead of their Premier League title defence. Taking to X , Carragher wrote: “LFC looking great going forward but susceptible defensively, as we’ve seen all pre season. “A lot of the goals conceded by LFC have come from going man to man really aggressively and leaving space in behind. Today (Milos) Kerkez is getting dragged inside with Sarr leaving (Cody) Gakpo chasing WB (Aaron Wan Bissaka).” Responding to a tweet about Liverpool’s involvement in high scoring matches, Carragher added: “That makes me nervous!!”. While Slot was pleased for his newcomers, the Dutch boss expects they would have happily traded their goals for a better result. He said: “I think it’s always nice to score a goal. Not only for (Ekitike), also for Jeremie (Frimpong) – if you are starting your career at a new club. “But it would have been even nicer to win a game of football because I think that’s more important than scoring a goal.” Ekitike, who joined Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt last month, was substituted in the 71st minute at Wembley and replaced by Alexis Mac Allister, one of two Reds – alongside Harvey Elliott – denied by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the shootout following Mohamed Salah’s opening miss. Slot added: “(Ekitike) had a good impact but he is also an example of a player who came, I think, one-and-a-half to two weeks ago, at the end of our Asian tour. So for me, with only three or four days before the Friday game, it wouldn’t be smart to play him for 90 minutes. “There’s not a lot to replace him with. So, if he gets an injury at this moment of time, that would be a big risk for the Bournemouth, Newcastle and Arsenal games. defensively for Bournemouth clash, says Slot Liverpool need little adjustment

Ű BY RACHEL STEINBERG

Liverpool manager Arne Slot (above) reacts with Jeremie Frimpong after the match against

A RNE SLOT demanded Liverpool tighten up defensively before Saturday’s (3am Malaysian time) Premier League curtain-raiser after allowing Crystal Palace to come back and win the Community Shield in a penalty shootout at Wembley. Hugo Ekitike – one of four summer signings in Slot’s starting XI – scored in the fourth minute of his competitive Reds debut, assisted by fellow new addition Florian Wirtz, an opener subsequently cancelled out by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 17th minute penalty. Jeremie Frimpong opened his own Liverpool account to restore their lead shortly afterwards, but Ismaila Sarr’s 77th-minute equaliser ultimately forced penalties, decided by Northern Ireland international Justin Devenny as Palace came out on top 3-2 in the shootout. “I think in the whole pre season we saw that we are able to create more and we are more comfortable on the ball, we create more opportunities, chances, we dominate maybe even more,” said Slot. “Last season we had a lot of ball possession but that didn’t always lead to promising situations. “Now, we are better in creating and getting promising situations than we were, in my opinion, throughout the whole of last season. “But the other side is also true, that we have conceded four against Milan, one against the Japanese team (Yokohama F. Marinos), two against (Athletic) Bilbao and again two against Palace. “What made us really strong last season was we only won mostly by a margin of one goal and that had mostly to do with us keeping a clean sheet or as a maximum conceding one goal.” Liverpool kick off their Premier League title defence on Saturday, hosting Bournemouth at Anfield, where Slot hopes to see swift improvement. He added: “In general there were not many chances because they went to a low block (and) we had a lot of ball possession. “But after the 2-2 they had (chances), so it needs maybe a little bit of adjustment defensively at the moment because we don’t concede a lot of chances but we do concede goals at the moment.” Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher labelled the Reds as “susceptible defensively” following their Community Shield

Max cornering speed

Crystal Palace. – REUTERSPIC

Story on page 29

Levy gets melancholy

Story on page 30

That’s why I took him off but he had a good game, that’s for sure.” – The Independent/Express Newspapers

theSun is published and printed by Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd (221220-K) of Lot 6, Jalan 51/217, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7784 6688 • Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2625 Email: newsdesk@thesundaily.com • Tel (Advertising): 03-7784 8888 Email: advertise@thesundaily.com