ReactionArne Slot press conference: Liverpool 2-1 Wolves, 'special' Wirtz, Frimpong and more
Arne Slot was pleased with the battling qualities Liverpool displayed to secure a 2-1 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz both scored within an 89-second spell late in the first half to put the Reds in control at Anfield.
Their lead was halved shortly after the break by Santiago Bueno but ultimately preserved to register a fourth straight victory in all competitions.
See everything Slot had to say in his post-match press conference below…
On Wirtz scoring his first competitive goal for Liverpool and whether it was a 'relief'...
I think I'm quite sure it was a relief for him, this I could see after his reaction after he scored the goal – and the same I saw with his teammates. I think they were really happy for him scoring his first goal because in football – rightly so, maybe – we mainly get judged on results and individuals mainly get judged on goals and assists. Sometimes we tend to forget what else there is to do during a game.
I think he's had multiple good games for us but I also feel he gets better and better every single game he is playing for us. He gets fitter and fitter and was getting closer and closer to his first goal. Then it was not a surprise to me that he scored one today, but he would probably be the first one to understand that one goal is not enough. He will score many more goals for us than only this one, but I also liked his performance during large parts of the game today. I think he was special in a lot of moments.
On conceding from a set-piece again...
I think scoring goals in the Premier League is not easy, I mean in open play. I see this in almost every single game I watch because the amount of set-piece goals scored gets more and more and more. Unfortunately we're maybe the only team that hardly ever scores from a set-piece and, even worse, we constantly concede. But then, I think I said two, three or four weeks ago, we have to make sure that when things go against us – [it] could be a set-piece, could be other things – we still need to find a way to win the game.
In the last two games we conceded a set-piece but we were able to win and that hasn't happened that many times this season. That's, again, progress for me, but it's obvious there are more things for us to improve and this is definitely one of them. Although, we had a great set-piece – the first one after half-time. It was completely told to the players at half-time – not by me, by someone else – and it was an open chance for Florian but unfortunately it went the wrong side of the post. I think we have been unlucky in multiple situations in our set-pieces; it is 18 games now and we need to improve.
On whether he was 'happy' with the team's second-half performance...
No, of course not. I think if you go 2-0 up at half-time, you're expecting a different second half than we had to face. But in football a goal can massively change momentum, and that's why I was so, so, so annoyed when the goal at [Manchester] City was disallowed because we were struggling in that game – probably just as much as Wolves were struggling today – but then a goal can make a lot of difference. That's what you saw today – not that after the 2-1 we didn't have ball possession anymore, but it was much more of an equal game.
Of course you're frightened every time when they do arrive, especially when he brought another big man in, with the crosses they gave. But I don't think we conceded a lot of big chances. I think the first big chance we conceded was, again, a goal – not for the first time this season. But for the rest, I saw a team that was fighting to get the win over the line – not with the best possible football but there was a proper fight. And a bit better than last week [in] the last 10 minutes. That wasn't too difficult, by the way!
On Jeremie Frimpong...
I think a lot has been said by so many people – probably you guys and me included as well – about the amount of money we've spent last summer. No-one talks about what we recouped, because we sold so many. Then from the players we bought, we unfortunately couldn't have seen the best from Alex [Isak], Giovanni Leoni has been injured after his first game and Jeremie Frimpong has hardly been available as well. It's then nice that we've spent so much and nobody is talking about what we've sold. But we were not always able to use the players we've brought in.
Jeremie is a great example: now if he is fit, he can definitely help us because last week he had the assist against Tottenham and today he had a great assist against Wolves. Pace, that's what he has and that's so important and crucial in modern-day football. Because to create something against a low-block, teams that defend with so many players, usually teams break this down with set-pieces. Now that's not our biggest strength and then to have him available with his pace, because the first goal we scored was pure individual ability – quick, bam, bam and a cut-back cross. OK, we were positioned in the right position, but that's the pace I always wanted to bring in in the summer, and that's what we did with Hugo [Ekitike], that's what we did with Jeremie and with Alex as well. But unfortunately not all of the money we've spent we have used and that has to do with the injuries of these players.
On the tributes to Diogo Jota...
Difficult but in a way also special and nice. I think, again, the football world showed again how to behave in moments like this. Our fans have been incredible since the tragedy has happened until today. Every single moment they've done what you would hope they do in memory of him. But today, again, the away fans showed that it's not only about our fans, it's also about the fans of other teams. So, [in the] 18th minute they started singing for Diogo, the Wolves fans, and our fans were clapping. And in the 20th minute, it was the opposite way around. You guys know and I know this for one-and-a-half years now how special English fans are, and I think today we've shown to the outside world, to the whole world, that it's not only the players who make this league special but it's definitely also the fans.