17/05/2026

SUNDAY | MAY 17, 2026

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Crumbling Reds

Liverpool manager Arne Slot (inset) reacts as John McGinn (not pictured) scores their fourth goal past goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili during the Premier League match at Villa Park yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

Slot insists Liverpool will be better force next season after bruising defeat

UNDER-PRESSURE Liverpool boss Arne Slot has promised next season will be bet ter after their Champions League hopes hang in the balance after a “damaging” 4 2 defeat at Aston Villa. The Reds could have sealed their place in next season’s premier European com petition but it was Villa who got over the line with a handsome victory which pro vided the perfect send-off for Thursday’s (3am Malaysian time) Europa League final. Ollie Watkins’ brace and classy goals from Morgan Rogers and John McGinn guaranteed Unai Emery’s men a top-five finish, while Liverpool’s wait goes on. Virgil van Dijk scored twice but this was another directionless performance from the Reds as the pressure grew on Slot, who presided over an alarming 12th defeat of the season. The Dutchman accepted supporters might not find reason to be optimistic, but he is expecting a better campaign. “I can understand at this moment of time that they don’t have a lot of confi dence or a lot of feeling that things can be much better next season,” Slot said. “But I think then they are underesti

for the Europa League final against Freiburg knowing their domestic ambi tions have been achieved, allowing them to put their full focus on winning a first continental trophy in 44 years. It is another fine achievement for Villa, whose progress under Emery shows no signs of stopping. The Spaniard said: “Absolutely bril liant. “I was here the first day speaking about our objective three and half years ago and how we are doing this achieve ment. “Today is a summary for the season. Fantastic and to do it against Liverpool. This team, this atmosphere. I am so happy, so, so proud of everybody. “Now we can play the final, only think ing about a trophy, not thinking about the Champions League. “To be in front of some teams after 37 matches is excellent, how we have beaten some teams to be in the Champions League. “It’s great finishing here the season at home with the main objective, and why, because after it we can now set and focus on the final only thinking for a trophy.” – The Independent/Agencies

penalties, they have conceded the most goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season (20). “We’ve conceded far too many goals – but I think we’ve also scored not enough goals,” Slot told Sky Sports . “We were fully in the game, fully able maybe to get a result but I agree that after it went 2-1 we crumbled.” Liverpool are still favourites to book a Champions League spot and it could hap pen in the next few days if Brighton and Bournemouth drop points, while they can look after their own business by beating Brentford on the final day. “Damaging because we needed either a win or maybe two draws would have been enough as well, but now we know one thing for sure, that we need a win next week if we have to do it ourselves,” Slot added. “As we all know other teams, of course, need to pick a point as well for us to need a win, but it’s really damaging that we were not able to get a result, let alone a win here.” In contrast, Villa booked a second sea son in the Champions League in three years and they can now head to Istanbul

mating what a window can do, what a new start can do, and I think we know quite well what to improve. “I think one of the things we have to improve is also very, very, very obvious, and I would have preferred not to talk about it here, but you’re actually almost forcing me to. “If you miss nine players that can start a game of football, and almost all of them are starters for us or have been for large part of the season, then if you add that to what you can improve in a window and add that to players that are playing for the second season in the Premier League, that will automatically lead to much more. “I don’t think the differences are so big, only doing in a few situations the right thing can already have a best massive upwards possibility.” Regardless of the injury crisis, Liverpool have had a full week to prepare for each of their past three games against Manchester United, Chelsea and Villa and still delivered three poor performances. In midfield and defence, Liverpool have been poor, conceding more than 50 goals in a 38-game Premier League cam paign for the first time (52). Excluding

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