After Liverpool's dramatic exit from the Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint‑Germain, manager Arne Slot faced the media in a post‑match press conference. He used the opportunity to lay out his grievances about the season’s shortcomings, citing a lack of clinical finishing, a spate of injuries to key signings and what he perceives as an unfair pattern of VAR decisions. This article examines Slot’s arguments, puts the statistics into context, and considers whether his complaints are warranted or simply a way to deflect responsibility. Slot began by lamenting Liverpool’s inability to convert the plethora of chances they create.
Throughout the campaign the Reds have generated a high volume of expected goals (xG) but have consistently under‑performed the metric. In the Champions League tie at Anfield, Liverpool produced an xG of 1.92 against PSG yet failed to score, a micro‑cosm of the season‑long trend.
"Unfortunately, it’s one of the many examples of this season where we weren’t able to score from the many chances we had," Slot said. "Again, we were so far under‑performing in terms of xG and that is just an ongoing thing with us throughout the whole season." The data backs up his observation for the European competition. Liverpool entered the quarter‑final with 24 goals from a projected 27.8 xG – the poorest conversion rate among the eight teams still in the tournament.
In the Premier League, however, the picture is less stark. The club’s actual goal tally sits just 0.65 below its league‑wide xG, a gap that, while modest, still lags behind top sides such as Arsenal (+7) and Manchester City (+5.45).
Moreover, nine other Premier League clubs have a larger negative differential, indicating that Liverpool’s problem is not unique. What does stand out, according to Slot, are the missed "big chances" – those clear‑cut opportunities that should almost guarantee a goal.
Liverpool recorded two such misses against PSG, and only Aston Villa has a worse conversion rate for Opta‑defined big chances in the domestic league. Overall, Liverpool have failed to capitalize on 59 of 86 clear‑cut openings in the Premier League, a statistic that underscores the urgency of improving finishing. Individual player performance further highlights the issue. Midfielders Curtis Jones, Florian Wirtz and Alexis Mac Allister have all under‑delivered relative to their xG, but the most glaring examples belong to the attacking stalwarts.
Mohamed Salah missed 11 of 14 big chances, while Virgil van Dijk – normally a defensive anchor – managed to score only once from eight obvious opportunities. Their inefficiency has directly contributed to the shortfall in goals. Compounding the finishing problem is the injury‑hit roster Slot has been forced to work with.
The high‑profile signing of Alexander Isak for £125 million from Newcastle was intended to provide a prolific goal‑scoring outlet, yet the Swedish striker has spent much of the season on the sidelines, including a broken leg that kept him out in December. Tuesday’s match marked his first start after returning from that lay‑off, but the lack of continuity has hampered any rhythm he might develop. The original plan for the summer window involved pairing Isak with fellow newcomers Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike to forge a £320 million attacking trio.
Ekitike’s own injury woes – highlighted by his premature exit against PSG – have meant that the three have rarely, if ever, shared the pitch together. Slot admitted, "For 88 minutes [before Tuesday] we have played with Florian, Alex and Hugo. We added about 27 to that on Tuesday and I would be surprised if we add more minutes to that this season." The inability to field the intended front‑line has forced the manager to rely on ad‑hoc combinations, further disrupting attacking cohesion. Defensive depth has also been eroded by injuries.
First‑choice goalkeeper Alisson has missed spells due to a hamstring problem, while centre‑back Conor Bradley required knee surgery, Giovanni Leoni suffered an ACL rupture, and other defenders such as Jeremie Frimpong, Wataru Endo and Joe Gomez have endured lengthy absences. The resulting rotation has made it difficult to establish a stable back line, which in turn affects the team’s ability to build attacks from the defence. Slot’s second major grievance concerns officiating, particularly the role of VAR.
In the second‑leg against PSG, a penalty awarded to Mac Allister was overturned after a VAR review, prompting Slot to remark, "...another intervention of the VAR which was not in our favour and that is not for the first time this season." He cited similar incidents, including a Brentford penalty awarded after a VAR check when Van Dijk appeared to pull Dango Ouattara, and a Leeds United spot‑kick following a VAR review of a Konate foul on Wilfried Gnonto. When asked about the PSG penalty reversal, Slot said, "If you look at our season, I'm not surprised as so many decisions have gone against us this season." While some of those calls were contentious, it is worth noting that Liverpool have also benefited from VAR on occasion. In the first leg in Paris, a PSG penalty was rescinded after Konate challenged Warren Zaire‑Emery, and defender Konate escaped punishment for a push on Nuno Mendes.
Nevertheless, the accumulation of perceived injustices – including a Van Dijk header ruled out for off‑side against Manchester City and a Manchester United goal that followed a Mac Allister head injury – has left Slot visibly frustrated. The Champions League defeat means Liverpool will finish the season without any silverware, a stark contrast to their Premier League triumph the previous campaign. The pressure now mounts for Slot to secure a top‑five league finish to guarantee a Champions League berth for next year.
Sky Sports analyst Tim Sherwood summed up the stakes: "Arne Slot needs to qualify for the Champions League to keep his job." Despite the setbacks, Slot remains cautiously optimistic about the squad’s future. He highlighted the youth and potential of players such as Ryan Gravenberch (23), Hugo Ekitike (23), Florian Wirtz (22), Conor Bradley (22) and Milos Kerkez (22), as well as the promise shown by 17‑year‑old prospect Rio Ngumoha.
"The future looks very bright for this team, because we've shown that we can compete with the champions of Europe in our stadium, to be the dominant team," Slot reiterated. In summary, Slot’s complaints are rooted in genuine statistical concerns – notably the poor conversion of big chances and a high injury toll – and are amplified by a series of contentious VAR decisions.
Whether these factors alone explain Liverpool’s under‑achievement is debatable; the club’s underlying talent suggests that with a healthier squad and sharper finishing, the gap can be closed. The final six league fixtures will be decisive, offering Slot the chance to translate potential into results and secure the European qualification that appears essential for his tenure.