Arne Slot has responded to two decisions that went against Liverpool while he has also confirmed why Ibrahima Konate was withdrawn at half-time during Sunday’s nervy Premier League win over Wolves.
The Reds held on against relegation-battling opponents at Anfield to restore their seven-point lead over closest title challengers Arsenal at the top-flight summit, despite Matheus Cunha’s brilliant strike with just over 20 minutes to play that teed up a grandstand finish after Liverpool had led 2-0 at half-time thanks to Luis Diaz’s early goal - his first of 2025 - and a Mohamed Salah penalty awarded for Jose Sa’s foul on Diaz.
Wolves were much improved after the interval and created plenty of chances, but ultimately could not find that elusive second goal as Alisson saved from new signing Marshall Munetsi, who was also prevented from turning home fellow substitute Tommy Doyle’s cross late on by a vital last-ditch challenge from Jarell Quansah.
Things could have gone far more smoothly for Liverpool had Salah not seen a second goal shortly after half-time ruled out for offside, while they also saw a second penalty award overturned after referee Simon Hooper had been advised to consult the pitchside monitor by VAR having initially pointed to the spot again after Emmanuel Agbadou’s challenge on Jota inside the box.
Replays showed that it was Jota who actually appeared to initiate the contact on a sliding Agbadou, who was then withdrawn through injury.
Slot had been left furious by the officials’ failure to rule out Everton’s last-gasp equaliser against his side on Wednesday night, also feeling that too much extra stoppage time had been played before James Tarkowski’s emphatic 98th-minute volley as he and assistant Sipke Hulshoff were both shown post-match red cards for their protests to referee Michael Oliver.
Slot and Hulshoff - as well as both clubs - were subsequently hit by Football Association (FA) charges on Friday and will now wait to find out their punishment as they were permitted to be in the dugout against Wolves as normal, though the Liverpool boss evidently had no issues with the decisions that went against his team on Sunday.
“I don't think the nerves were too much, I think it also had to do with how Wolves came out,” Slot said of the finish against Wolves. “On Wednesday, we showed immense mentality in the most difficult circumstances we faced this season and then going 2-1 up and then playing the last 15, 20 minutes the way we played with all the things that happened in those 15 to 20 minutes, and to come out with a draw, that was very, very, very hard to take.
“And then today, 2-0 up, we had to deal with thinking we scored the 3-0 – completely the correct decision that he disallowed it for offside. Thinking we were going to score the 3-0 with a penalty [for] Mo, again, in my opinion, the correct decision for the VAR to turn that decision over.
“And then immediately receiving the 2-1, that is mentally not always easy – and that's why these wins are probably even more important than when we outplay Tottenham like we did here two weeks ago with 4-0.
“It's difficult to win a game of football. People always feel like, 'You've got Mo Salah, what are you talking about? He will always score for you a goal.' No, no, no.
“It's so difficult to win a game of football every three days after everything you go through in a season, so that's why this win is an important one going into a very tough week, where we hope we can show the same mentality again [against] both teams but play a bit better on the ball.”
Liverpool defender Konate was replaced by Quansah at half-time against Wolves, having been booked for a pull on Cunha and then been fortunate to get away without a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge on the Brazilian forward shortly before the break.
Asked if he had taken off the French centre-back due to fears over him potentially getting sent off, Slot said: “Yes, I took him off because of that. Because I saw him getting his first yellow, that was for me a soft yellow.
“If he would have got the second one for a shoulder push, that would again be a soft yellow, so then he would have been sent off by two soft yellows. I think the referee felt the same – that's why he didn't.
“But I've watched football so many times in my life and I know that a player and a referee is then under pressure, so every next foul will lead again to maybe a referee that thinks, 'Maybe now I should give him [a yellow].' I think back on three days ago.
“But for Ibou, it's so difficult to play 45 minutes of football against such a strong Wolves team. So, I had to take him off because you can't play football knowing in your head you can't make a foul and playing against such good players Wolves have.”
