Arne Slot has offered an honest explanation of why Liverpool are struggling this season, just days before their crucial Premier League fixture against Manchester United on Sunday, October 19th, at Anfield.

The Liverpool boss admitted that his side have not been at their best, both in attack and defense. He conceded that Liverpool have been conceding too many goals this season and are not creating as many chances as they did at the start of the previous campaign.

Slot Blames Set Pieces for Defensive Problems

Slot pointed to set pieces as the key reason behind Liverpool’s defensive issues, revealing that 4 of the 9 goals they have conceded so far have come from such situations.

However, the Dutch coach defended his team’s attacking record, claiming that Liverpool remain the Premier League’s most creative side from open play.

That claim is accurate — the Reds have indeed created the most chances in the league this season (78), narrowly ahead of Manchester United (76).

In comparison, Arsenal have created 69, while Newcastle United are fourth with 64 chances created so far.

Shots on Target: Slot’s Claim Doesn’t Hold Up

Arne Slot also claimed that Liverpool have registered the most shots on target this season — a statement that is factually incorrect.

According to the latest Premier League data, Crystal Palace top the list with 36 shots on target, followed by Manchester United (34), Chelsea and Manchester City (32 each), Bournemouth (31), and Brighton and Liverpool (30 each). Arsenal trail slightly behind with 29 shots on target.

The Long-Ball Problem

Slot went on to make another curious observation, arguing that Liverpool are being forced to defend against more long balls than they did last season.

“The amount of long balls that we are facing now compared to last season — I think we are already one-third on the way in the amount of long balls we have to defend compared to last season after just seven games,” he said.

So far this season, Liverpool have faced Bournemouth, 10-man Newcastle, Arsenal, 10-man Burnley, Everton, and Crystal Palace — teams with widely different styles of play.

A closer look at the statistics, however, paints an interesting picture.
Among Premier League sides this season:

• Burnley rank 3rd with 399 long balls,
• Bournemouth are 4th with 397,
• Everton are 5th with 397,
• Newcastle sit 6th with 372,
• Crystal Palace are 8th with 368, and
• Arsenal are 17th with 320 long balls.

By comparison, Liverpool rank 16th, having played 332 long passes this season.

Liverpool vs Manchester United: Slot Faces a Bigger Test

Arne Slot has repeatedly voiced frustration at teams resorting to long-ball tactics, but his next opponent — Manchester United — could expose that weakness further.

United are one of the Premier League’s most direct sides, recording the second-highest number of long passes (404) this season, just behind Wolverhampton Wanderers (411).

That statistic suggests Slot’s men may be in for another physically demanding test when they host their old rivals at Anfield.

Has Arne Slot Run Out of Jurgen Klopp’s Momentum?

Some pundits and fans have begun to question whether Arne Slot is still running on Jurgen Klopp’s “juice.” Many believe Liverpool’s early success under Slot owed much to the solid foundation left by Klopp, but with time, the cracks are beginning to show.

As our previous analysis highlighted, Liverpool’s defensive inconsistency, vulnerability on set pieces, and dip in overall rhythm have all contributed to their sluggish start to the 2025–26 Premier League season.

For more on this topic, read:
👉 Arne Slot’s Liverpool: Champions in the Making or Pretenders Living on Luck?