Arne Slot expressed relief after Liverpool’s victory over Forest: “We didn’t play well.”

After a hard-fought 1-0 victory away at Nottingham Forest, Liverpool manager Arne Slot did not hide his relief. The win, which was decided by a late goal from Alexis Mac Allister, left Slot in a state of mixed happiness, acknowledging that the team did not perform at its best.

Slot, in a candid statement, shared: “My emotions were of happiness and relief. This is probably the first time I have to hold a post-match press conference that is different from those I have done in all the other matches, because today we did not play well. The performance, especially in the first half, did not compare to those we have had so many times this season.” The manager was clear in his assessment, stating that despite the victory, Liverpool did not deserve the three points based on their display. “We have often been penalized with negative results after good performances. Today, I believe we received more than we deserved. A draw would have been a fairer result than our victory.”

Tension in the match heightened when Liverpool almost scored before what would eventually be the winning goal. “I thought Hugo (Ekitike) already had a great opportunity after a magnificent cross from Rio Ngumoha, but he missed. The ball came back and went into the net. Since the introduction of VAR, I always have difficulty celebrating too much, thinking that something might happen. You never know if the ball touched someone’s body before ending up in the back of the net. Apparently, it did touch his arm, so it was ruled out.”

The coach continued, reflecting on the luck that seemed to change: “So, my emotions went from ‘OK, not everything that could have gone against us this season has happened yet. There’s still one more to go.’ But perhaps luck changed two or three minutes later, when we again thought we had scored the winner. This time, the referee took a while to check, but pointed to the start of the game – which meant we won.”

This victory marks a critical moment for Liverpool, which is struggling to find consistency in its performances. With emotions running high and pressure mounting, Arne Slot will need to find ways to optimize his team’s performance, ensuring that what was seen in Nottingham does not repeat itself in the upcoming matches. Liverpool’s journey in the Premier League continues, and the demand for convincing victories is growing.