Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford left Arne Slot stressing that he already understands where the team must improve before next season, as Manchester United secured a top-five Premier League finish and Liverpool’s push to confirm Champions League qualification stayed unresolved.
Manchester United led 2-0 before Liverpool hauled the score back to 2-2, yet Kobbie Mainoo struck the winner to complete a league double over Liverpool, the first such feat for United since 2015-16, and part of a campaign where Liverpool also lost home and away to both Manchester clubs.
"The margins are not so big to us being able to win a game like this," Slot told Sky Sports. "I know what we can improve on, and we are already working hard on this. The same issues
keep coming back, which is not a huge surprise, as you don’t have long to fix them during the season. Tactically, you can change certain things, but for me, it is clear where we have to improve, and we will. "
Slot remains confident about reshaping Liverpool before the 2026-27 season, despite mounting scrutiny from some supporters. Liverpool spent around £400m after the 2024-25 title success, bringing in Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and others, yet now face a significant rebuild as long-serving figures Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson prepare to leave in the upcoming summer window.
"I don’t think anyone expected us to lose that game after getting to 2-2," Slot added. "Or maybe you did, if you watched the whole of our season! As I’ve said so many times this season, when we are playing well, or we think we are able to win it, we switch off. The ball fell to Mainoo, and it was a great finish for them. "
This defeat contributed to Liverpool reaching 18 losses in all competitions this season, a figure only surpassed three times since the 1961-62 campaign outside the top flight. In those previous seasons, Liverpool were beaten 20 times in 1992-93, then 19 times in both 2004-05 and 2009-10 across all tournaments.
| Season | Total defeats in all competitions |
|---|---|
| 1961-62 | More than 18 (outside top flight) |
| 1992-93 | 20 |
| 2004-05 | 19 |
| 2009-10 | 19 |
| 2025-26 | 18 so far |
Liverpool Premier League Champions League targets for run-in
Liverpool still require a maximum of four points from their remaining fixtures against Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brentford to make sure of a Champions League place. At Old Trafford, Dominik Szoboszlai capitalised on a loose pass from Amad Diallo to score Liverpool’s first goal, but Szoboszlai preferred not to talk much about 2026-27 while qualification remained unconfirmed.
"First, I don’t focus on next season," the Hungary international said. "I will focus on these three games because we have a lot of things to achieve. We want to play in the Champions League, because Liverpool belongs there. We will see what happens in the future. Hopefully, this team can stay together as much as possible. From there on, we will see. "
The defeat to Manchester United underlined repeated lapses that Slot highlighted, even during strong spells of play, and left Liverpool balancing short-term Champions League priorities with longer-term squad changes. The final matches and the coming summer are likely to be crucial as Liverpool try to cut errors and challenge again in 2026-27.
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