Arne Slot is standing by his team selection after Liverpool's disappointing 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup fourth round at Anfield. The loss marks the sixth defeat in seven matches for the Reds, intensifying the pressure on the new manager.
Slot made a massive 10 changes to the starting lineup from the team that lost to Brentford in the Premier League. Only Milos Kerkez retained his place in the starting XI. The changes included handing debuts to Freddie Woodman in goal and Kieran Morrison in attack. Andy Robertson captained the side, while other starters included Joe Gomez, Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Federico Chiesa.
The Liverpool manager defended his selection, stating that he wanted to protect players and keep key players fresh for the upcoming Premier League match against Aston Villa. He pointed to the impact of a previous match against Southampton and the need to avoid a drop in standards, referencing the loss to Brentford after playing Frankfurt in the Champions League. Slot said the selection was similar to what he did in previous cup rounds last season.
"It's always a blow to lose a game of football, especially if it leads to going out of a competition," Slot said. "But it's the same selection I did tonight as I did last season in rounds like this". He acknowledged the poor run of form, saying that losing six out of seven games is unacceptable for a club like Liverpool. "There are many reasons maybe why we've lost six out of seven. None of them are good enough to accept losing so many," he stated. "I can come up with arguments or reasons but none of them will be enough to go to that standard because at Liverpool losing five out of six, six out of seven is always too much".
Crystal Palace, managed by Oliver Glasner, secured their third victory against Liverpool this season, having previously won the Community Shield on penalties and a Premier League match at Selhurst Park. Ismaila Sarr scored twice in the first half. Yeremy Pino added a third goal late in the game to seal the victory for the Eagles. Liverpool's misery was compounded by a late red card to Amara Nallo.
Glasner made five changes to his starting XI. Eddie Nketiah made his first start of the season, while Walter Benítez and Jaydee Canvot, who debuted in the previous round, also started.
The defeat means Liverpool have been eliminated from the Carabao Cup. Crystal Palace will now face Arsenal in the quarter-finals. Liverpool will aim to halt their losing streak in the Premier League as they host Aston Villa on Saturday night.
