Arne Slot acknowledges he made an ‘error’ by including a particular player in Liverpool’s starting lineup during their victory over Southampton.

Arne Slot Acknowledges Selection Error in Liverpool’s Win Over Southampton

Arne Slot admitted he may have made a mistake with his team selection following Liverpool’s Premier League victory against Southampton.

On Saturday afternoon, Liverpool continued their pursuit of the league title as they hosted Southampton at Anfield.

Despite expectations of a straightforward win for the league leaders, Southampton shocked the home crowd by taking a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Will Smallbone capitalized on a rare miscommunication between Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk to put the visitors ahead.

However, Liverpool responded strongly in the second half, with quick goals from Darwin Núñez and Mohamed Salah turning the game around within 10 minutes of the restart.

Salah later converted a penalty to secure a 3-1 victory, extending Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to 16 points ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Manchester United on Sunday.

Slot Reflects on Selection Decision

Speaking after the match, Slot admitted he may have erred in starting Dominik Szoboszlai, who was substituted at halftime.

Reflecting on his decision, Slot told TeamTalk:

*”If I could go back, I would have started the game differently. But you can’t predict these things in advance. Every time I talk about Dominik, I describe him as a machine—he keeps running and running.

“But for the first time this season, I noticed a different energy from him, which is understandable. Maybe I made a mistake by playing him, considering how much he puts into every game. The positive side is that he only played 45 minutes, so he’ll be more rested for the upcoming matches.”*

Keeping Focus Despite Lead

Despite Liverpool’s 16-point advantage at the top, Slot remains cautious.

“It’s 16 for now, but by the time we play Everton in a few weeks, that gap could be down to seven, as Arsenal have three league games before our next Premier League match.”

Liverpool now turn their attention to Tuesday night’s Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their round of 16 tie. The Reds hold a narrow advantage after Harvey Elliott’s late goal secured a 1-0 win in the first leg at the Parc des Princes.