Richard Keys Blasts Arne Slot Over “Foolish” Remarks Following Liverpool’s 5-1 Win Against Frankfurt
Liverpool manager Arne Slot gave a rather surprising explanation when asked what made the difference in his team’s 5-1 comeback win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The result ended a run of four straight defeats and saw the Reds look much more like their usual dominant selves in Germany.
Florian Wirtz showed why Liverpool signed him, registering two assists on a night when five different players — Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Cody Gakpo, and Dominik Szoboszlai — all found the net, providing the perfect response to the club’s recent dip in form.
Slot will now hope to carry this confidence into the Premier League as Liverpool prepare to face Brentford on Saturday, looking to cut the four-point gap to league leaders Arsenal. However, his explanation for their midweek dominance focused more on Frankfurt’s approach than on any tactical change from his side.
Slot’s Unusual Take on Liverpool’s Win
The Dutch coach suggested that Frankfurt’s style of play actually worked in Liverpool’s favor. Remarkably, Frankfurt have now seen all three of their opening Champions League matches this season end 5-1 — either in their favor or against them. Slot said:
> “The biggest difference for me compared to our recent games was the opponent’s style. We gained energy from pressing them, something we couldn’t do in the last four or five matches because the ball was mostly in the air rather than on the ground.”
Slot appeared to be referring to teams like Manchester United, who recently targeted Liverpool’s full-backs with long aerial balls over the top — a tactic that has often caught his defense off guard in transition.
Nevertheless, his comments sparked plenty of debate online, with some rival fans mocking his reasoning. One X user wrote, “Is this AI? He can’t be serious,” while another called Slot “the most annoying manager in the league.” Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys, now with beIN SPORTS, also criticized the remark, saying:
> “What a daft thing to say. Now everyone knows how to beat Liverpool — long balls. They don’t like a fight.”
Last season, Slot led Liverpool to the Premier League title with a dominant 70% win rate across all competitions — the highest ever for a manager in their debut season at the club. He earned praise for his adaptability and tactical intelligence, often staying a step ahead of his opponents.
This latest result could be a turning point, but the challenge now is to maintain that momentum. All eyes will be on how Slot handles his full-backs, whether Mohamed Salah returns to the starting lineup after recent controversy, and if Wirtz and Ekitike are rewarded with starting spots after their impressive showings.