ReactionArne Slot press conference: Full verdict on Liverpool 2-2 Man Utd

Amid snowy conditions for the Premier League clash at Anfield, the Reds responded to going behind to a Lisandro Martinez finish by getting in front through Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah (penalty).

But United forced a share of the points as Amad Diallo converted 10 minutes from the end, with both sides creating – though not taking – chances to subsequently win it.

Slot’s men are now six points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table, with a game still in hand.

Read every word of the head coach’s verdict at his post-match press conference below.

• Read our match report from Anfield here

On whether he views the result as a point gained or two dropped...

Of course, it feels for us as two points dropped. I think many people, what stays in their head for a long time is what happens in the end and that was a big chance for [Harry] Maguire, of course. But what we tend to forget is two minutes before, Virgil [van Dijk] had maybe such a big chance as he had to make it 3-2 for us. In the end, it was a difficult game. A bit similar to maybe the Nottingham Forest game, where the playing style of both teams was quite similar. Defending in a low block with a lot of bodies and if they had the ball, not the risk of build-up but play it long. Every free-kick they got somewhere in and around their own half or our half, they brought it in, so that was a bit similar to Forest. That is not always easy then to play against that style of football and that’s what showed against Forest and it showed again today. Especially if they have such good, quality players that can defend so well, then it is not so easy to play it through that low block that they had.

On whether he felt Liverpool didn’t take control of the game after going 2-1 ahead...

It’s not so easy to take control if the other team plays every ball into your last line, then the ball is constantly in the air and there’s constantly duels. That is, I think, what makes it difficult. We couldn’t control it completely because every time we had control, we had a shot on target, [Andre] Onana put the ball on the ground and hit it long towards our half. Then the ball is open. Of course, we had to do much better in the two goals we conceded, but that’s what every manager says, probably – [Ruben] Amorim will tell you they had to do better in the two goals we scored. Taking control against a team that plays almost every ball into your last line is not as easy as [against] another playing style.

On whether recent speculation affected Trent Alexander-Arnold...

I don’t believe in those things. I think nine out of 10 people will tell you it affected him but I am one of the 10 that tells you I don’t think that affected him. What affected him was that he had to play Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, who are two starters for Portugal. Great, great, great players. We have a fantastic player here with Diogo Jota and mostly he is not playing for Portugal. That tells you how much quality United have and if these players set themselves to a game, and that is what United once in a while do, then it is very difficult to play against them. That is more difficult for Trent to play against Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot than the rumours there were during the week. That’s my opinion and probably everybody will tell you it had to do with the rumours. My opinion is different.

On Alexander-Arnold coming up against those two players specifically and ‘why he was left in that situation’…

No, it wasn’t that he had to play them on his own, against those two, because Ryan [Gravenberch] was nine out of 10 times close to that situation. But he was many times faced in a one-v-one situation against those players. Now, I always tell you how difficult it is for the other team to be in a one-v-one situation against Mo Salah or against Cody Gakpo, Lucho Diaz or all the other ones we have. These players also have special qualities; I think the best way you could see this was the last 10 to 15 minutes. In the first 70 to 80 they almost played every ball long, but after the 2-2 the game was completely open and then you could even see even better how much quality they have if they try to play the ball over the ground. It was clear that Trent had some difficult moments, as we as a team had, but that is also for Trent not the first time. I think for the majority of the games he played for this club, they were very, very, very good, but I can’t believe if people tell me that he’s never played a bad game for this club. That has probably happened before, and I think mostly against quality players like United have, especially in the positions he had to face.

On why he brought Ibrahima Konate back into the XI and how he assessed the defender’s performance…

Because he was fit. If he wouldn’t [have been] then we wouldn’t have started him, then he doesn’t train with us. The moment he starts to train with the team he is fit again. It is not to say that he can immediately play two games a week, but he can definitely play 90 minutes, like he showed today. Like you saw, except for the first game when I chose [Jarell] Quansah, all the other games when Ibou was fit he started, so that’s the answer I think to your question. The moment he is fit, he can start. But if you have been out for such a long time it’s difficult to immediately play then two games a week, so it must not come as a surprise if he doesn’t play on Wednesday. But he played today for 90 minutes and I think he showed in that 90 minutes that he was ready to play.