ReactionArne Slot press conference: FA Cup progress, Robertson, Salah and more
The Reds earned a spot in the final eight of the tournament on Friday night thanks to goals from Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones at Molineux.
Liverpool struck twice in two minutes at the start of the second half to take control of the tie, Robertson driving a shot home from outside the box, ahead of Salah's close-range finish that required VAR intervention.
Jones then netted with a composed run and strike around 15 minutes from the end, ahead of substitute Hee Chan Hwang scoring a consolation in added time for the home side.
Following the victory, Slot held a post-match press conference - read on to see what the head coach had to say...
On Robertson getting a goal and an assist...
If you talk about a goal and an assist, the first player you think about is probably not a full-back. So, if he can then add that to a game where we until 91 minutes again did not concede a chance - and he's, of course, part of defending, so that's the first job of a full-back - then it's really positive. But the first goal he scored is not a big chance; it's a 20-yard shot, which we had a lot of three days ago - and now this one goes in after Cody [Gakpo] and Mo did a good job in the lead-up to that goal.
The second goal follows straight away: again, Cody having a good role in that attack, dropping low as a nine, switching it to Rio [Ngumoha], a great overlap by Robbo. Mo, he's hardly ever offside - that is probably one of the most special things. He has a lot of special things, but that's definitely one of them, so when the linesman raised his flag, I was straight away questioning him - and that seemed to be fair because he wasn't offside. Then we are 2-0 and then it opens up the game much more than three days ago. For the rest, I think, it was an identical game.
On Salah scoring in consecutive games...
It's always pleasing if we score, but I think it's also important for attackers to score because if they don't score over a long time, they're maybe starting to force it or going to do different things. So, the more they score, the less they are going to force it and that's why it's important for our attackers either to score or be part of the lead-up to a goal. Like I just said, Cody twice played a very good role in the first two goals we scored.
On whether this was the 'perfect' response to the defeat at Molineux on Tuesday and also a positive in terms of his team selection...
Of course, it's a perfect response when you look at the results, but every stat is exactly identical to three days ago. I think they were on 0.44xG and they scored tonight. Their only chance they had, they scored one. The positive thing is three days ago they only had one chance and scored twice. We struggled to create a lot of chances from a lot of ball possession we had in the first 50 minutes. But after scoring not a big chance - the shot from Robbo is not a big chance - things opened up a bit more for us.
Again, we conceded in extra time, so that's similar. There was not so much difference because in the first 50 minutes we were maybe a bit faster going from side to side, that had also to do with the personnel, with the different type of players that were in certain positions. But overall, there were a lot of similarities between this game and three days ago [and] a lot of ball possession.
But then to your last part of the question, I'm really happy a few players have come back, because I don't think I've ever complained about a player's availability, but if you have to play with 12, 13 or 14 players every three days, then I think it does make sense that maybe once in a while an individual performance is not of the level we are used to of him because they have to play so many games. That's why I respect them so much; every three days the same players had to play.
Now I can also impact the game more off the bench, as you saw today as well. The players who came in did really well and the ones that I started that are maybe not always playing did really well also. So, a good thing that it happens now towards the end of the season.
On the similarities between the first half and the game in midweek and whether he had to 'address' that at half-time...
No, because we were penetrating more in their 18-yard box and coming closer to their goal than we did in the first half this week. So, I did see the things we were talking about before the games which we had to do better. That's also what we did better. But that also comes from different personnel on different positions. One simple example is Dominik Szoboslzai has a better diagonal over 80 yards than Jeremie Frimpong has. Jeremie Frimpong has other qualities and Dom used that once or twice during this game.
Apart from that, I think we knew even better how we had to play them. We knew three days ago, because we played them three days ago. So, then the game plans are usually easier to create and the execution of that was better than three days ago. Still, it wasn't as if we were five times in front of the goalkeeper on a one-v-one. That wasn't the situation. But that's also really difficult against 11 players in and around the box.
On whether Alexis Mac Allister is OK after his knock…
I think so, yes.
On Robertson giving everything for Liverpool…
He loves the club and he loves to play in front of these fans. These fans were again amazing, by the way, three days after they were so disappointed. Like us, they had to go again on a Friday evening over here. I don't know if they were all the same, but there were definitely more because in the FA Cup you have even more away fans. Robbo has in the one-and-a-half years that I'm here, he has given his everything for the club. I think the fans will tell me that it's not only one-and-a-half years he did this. He did this for all the years that he's been here.
Every time I need him, or the club needs him, he tries to give his best. That's again what he did tonight, not only scoring and having an assist, but I think he defended well with calm and a lot of composure on the ball. That's crucial because if you play against the team where the full-backs are constantly open you need in those positions [a] player who is making the right decisions, that's what Dom and Robbo definitely did tonight.
On Ngumoha's performance…
Good. I think it's special if you're a 17-year-old and you play in a Premier League match. I know it's an FA Cup match, but two Premier League sides playing against each other. If you're then able already to impact it with some very good one-v-one situations, that is also what makes him special because there are not many players in the modern football that can take one-v-ones on. That's something he can. He also - in my opinion - did better than three days ago because he kept the ball more. Three days ago he lost it a few times as well. So, three days ago he also had his impact with his actions.
Today he had it as well but was even better in moments where he had to keep the ball. [It's a] nice game because you face five defenders. For a winger you only have to go to one of the three centre-backs, or defensively you don't have to do as much as when you face four defenders. It was also a nice moment for him to use all his energy for the attacking part and not having to defend as much as when you have to do that when you play against the four at the back.