Arne Slot asked Liverpool supporters for patience after the 4-2 defeat against Aston Villa deepened doubts about the direction of the team. The result means Liverpool may still need to beat Brentford on the final day to be completely sure of Champions League qualification, increasing pressure around the club.
The loss at Villa Park continued a difficult campaign in which Liverpool surrendered the Premier League title challenge without mounting a sustained fight. Defensive problems resurfaced, with the team conceding four goals in a league match for the first time under Arne Slot since a 4-3 defeat with Feyenoord against Ruud van Nistelrooy's PSV in September 2022.
"I can understand that at this moment in time [the fans] don't have a lot of confidence
or a lot of feeling that things can be much better next season, but I think then they are underestimating what a [transfer] window can do, what a new start can do," Slot said, as reported by ESPN.
"I think we know quite well what to improve. One of the things we have to improve is very, very obvious, and I would have preferred not to talk about it here, but you're actually almost forcing me to. "
Slot pointed toward the summer market as a key chance to reshape the squad after a turbulent year. Liverpool spent heavily last year on Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, yet also saw Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson depart, while Alisson faced ongoing speculation about a possible exit.
"If you miss nine players that can start a game of football and almost all of them are starters for usor have been for large parts of the seasonthen 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, and I think we saw that the adaptation for a few of them took some time, that will automatically lead to much more. "
Slot highlighted the lengthy injury list, stressing that nine potential starters were unavailable and that several others were still adjusting to a second season in the Premier League. Slot argued that better fortune with fitness, combined with smart recruitment, could quickly alter Liverpool's level of performance.
"My opinion, and nobody has to agree with me, is that for large parts of the game we were close to a result, but when you are the better team, you need to generate more chances and score them, and we cannot concede as many set pieces as we have conceded this season. I don't think the difference is so big; only doing the right thing in a few situations can have a massive upward possibility. "
4 - Arne Slot has seen his team concede four goals in a league game for the first time since losing 4-3 to Ruud van Nistelrooy's PSV with Feyenoord in September 2022. Misery. pic.twitter.com/9c7lTzcXzYOptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 15, 2026
Set-piece fragility has been a persistent concern for Liverpool under Arne Slot this season. Excluding penalties, Liverpool have allowed more goals from dead-ball situations than any other Premier League side, and the volume of corners conceded has made control in defensive areas a central talking point.
| Arne Slot Liverpool statistic | Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Goals conceded from set-pieces (excluding penalties) | 20 | Most in 2025-26 Premier League |
| Goals conceded from corners | 11 | First time reaching this number in a Premier League season |
| Total defeats in all competitions | 19 | Matched 2004-05 and 2009-10; fewer only than 1992-93, when Liverpool lost 20 |
Those figures underline how far Liverpool have slipped from previous defensive standards, with 19 defeats across competitions this season. Since promotion in 1962, the club have only lost more games in 1992-93, when they suffered 20 defeats, matching poor tallies from 2004-05 and 2009-10.
As Liverpool prepare for Brentford and an important summer, Slot maintains that a focused transfer window, improved fitness and better handling of set-pieces can restore stability. The head coach accepts current frustration among supporters but believes the gap to stronger performances next season is smaller than the results suggest.
