Following Liverpool's Champions League elimination by Paris St-Germain, Arne Slot expressed his disappointment in the post-match press conference, citing missed opportunities, injuries, and VAR decisions as key factors. This season, Liverpool has struggled to convert chances into goals, with a significant underperformance in terms of Expected Goals (xG) in the Champions League. However, their xG conversion rate in the Premier League is closer to their actual goals scored.
The team has missed a substantial number of big chances, with only Aston Villa having a worse conversion rate of Opta-defined big chances in the Premier League. Players like Curtis Jones, Florian Wirtz, and Alexis Mac Allister have underperformed their individual xG totals, while Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have also been guilty of missing clear-cut opportunities. Injuries have also played a significant role, with Alexander Isak's £125m signing from Newcastle being hindered by a broken leg and other players like Hugo Ekitike, Alisson, and Giovanni Leoni also missing game time due to injuries. Slot has also been critical of VAR decisions, citing several instances where he felt his team was unfairly treated.
Despite the challenges, Slot remains optimistic about the team's future, given the quality of young players like Ryan Gravenberch, Ekitike, Wirtz, and Milos Kerkez. With six games left in the Premier League campaign, Slot needs to secure a top-five finish to ensure Champions League qualification for next season.