Slot insists Liverpool will not cite Jota's passing as reason for their dip in form

Arne Slot stated on Friday that Liverpool would never regard their sorrow following Diogo Jotas death as a justification for subpar performances, while he aims to halt an alarming sequence of five losses across six Premier League fixtures.

The forward Jota, who had three children, perished in a vehicle accident in Spain during July, together with his sibling Andre Silva, prompting Liverpool to withdraw the number 20 jersey in tribute to him.

The title holders launched the campaign with a streak of seven consecutive victories across various tournaments, yet they now trail Premier League frontrunners Arsenal by eight points amid this sudden downturn.

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson mentioned that thoughts of Jota lingered persistently in his mind right before Scotlands pivotal World Cup qualifier versus Denmark earlier this week, a game they ultimately secured.

Slot faced questions ahead of Liverpools fixture at home to Nottingham Forest, probing if evaluations of his squad remained equitable, considering the fresh anguish from Jotas demise.

I believe we face scrutiny constantly, at times justly, at times otherwise, but I viewed the chat with Robertson too, broadcast live, and I recognise it weighs on us, which seems utterly understandable, the Liverpool manager remarked.

However, in such instances, my thoughts always turn to the immense burden on his widow and offspring, as that burden far surpasses ours by a wide margin. Our sense of loss for both the athlete and the individual is evident without question.

Slot indicated that gauging the true effects of Jotas passing on their play or outcomes remains beyond reach.

It is not something I can determine, and we shall never invoke it as a pretext, since that would seem inappropriate, he continued.

Goalkeeper Alisson Becker has returned to fitness following an extended absence, though Conor Bradley and Florian Wirtz must sit out the encounter with Forest due to muscular injuries.

With his side positioned eighth in the Premier League, Slot conveyed that he was not dwelling on Liverpools championship retention.

In truth, we avoided that approach last term too, even when leading the table, the Dutch coach noted. Our focus stays solely on the upcoming match.

I repeated this frequently during the prior campaign, and I reiterate it now: the most accurate assessment of the league standings comes post 38 matches, yet the subsequent optimal evaluation, from my viewpoint, occurs after 19 games.