Liverpool need to break pattern of defeats, insists beleaguered Slot

Liverpool boss Arne Slot insisted that his team cannot afford to get used to dropping points in matches they ought to dominate following six losses in their previous seven outings which have thrown the Premier League title holders into turmoil.

The Anfield outfit have now suffered four straight league reversals with Aston Villa heading to Merseyside on Saturday and they were also eliminated from the League Cup by Crystal Palace earlier this week.

Slot faced backlash for fielding a youthful lineup in the 3-0 loss against the Eagles yet he stood by his choice to rotate amid ongoing injury woes that have hampered the squad early on.

Alisson Becker, Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong remain out while Ryan Gravenberch has only recently resumed training following an ankle issue.

Slot was considering not just the arrival of resurgent Villa but also Real Madrid's Champions League visit to Anfield next Tuesday and the upcoming Premier League showdown with Manchester City the following Sunday.

"This has no connection to our bench strength it stems from the injury crises and player fitness we've dealt with all season," Slot explained during his Friday media briefing ahead of the weekend fixture.

"That's simply how things stand right now. We still possess plenty of quality options to field for Saturday's match the Tuesday encounter and Sunday's too but I must manage some players carefully which led to my rotation call."

At the five-game mark in the Premier League Villa were 12 points adrift of Liverpool.

However the sides now stand level on points separated merely by goals scored as Unai Emery's charges have surged while Liverpool's poor run has deepened.

Slot pointed to Villa's turnaround as a lesson for his players on the Premier League's volatility and competitive edge.

Arsenal hold a four-point advantage at the summit yet just three points divide second-placed Bournemouth from Villa who sit eighth.

"Beyond Arsenal the pack is tightly bunched so it underscores the league's toughness once more," Slot remarked.

"Usually even for a team like ours with an extended slump you do not keep losing when outshooting the opposition in opportunities.

"Villa chose to avoid repeating that mistake and we must aim to stop turning dominance into draws or defeats."