ReactionArne Slot press conference: Half-time message, 'incredible' Anfield and Gomez appreciation

The home team trailed at the interval of Saturday’s Premier League clash to a Ferdi Kadioglu strike and required a turnaround at Anfield.

They delivered, with Cody Gakpo’s cross drifting into the net on 70 minutes and Mohamed Salah instantly thumping a finish into the top corner to secure a 2-1 victory.

• Read our match report from Anfield

Slot’s men therefore rose to the summit of the division – and in his post-match assessment the head coach explained his view of how the comeback was achieved.

Read every word of his briefing with the media below…

On what he said to the players at half-time...

First of all, credit to Brighton the way they showed up over here. They showed a lot of composure, they were not afraid to play. They play out from the back really well. A lot of energy without the ball. And we didn’t show up at all, in every part of the game, maybe except for the set-pieces part. But for the rest we were not there, and if you face a very good team like Brighton it’s not enough to run once, twice or three times, you have to keep on running.

So, we changed a bit of tactics but that had nothing to do with ball possession, that had nothing to do with us coming out stronger in the second half, it all had to do that the players showed a different attitude and different intensity. Therefore, I said a few things and we showed a few things, but it wasn’t that I was screaming or fuming around. It’s just making sure the players understand that this was not enough, and I think they felt it themselves as well.

On the changes he made during the second half…

Yeah, for me at the start of the second half we were dominant, we were creating our chances so that’s why I didn’t feel the need to change something. But yeah, if you create your chances and it doesn’t go in, then you have so many good players on the bench that can also make a difference and have an impact on the game, you do change. I don’t think in the second half anybody deserved to be taken out; in the first half they almost all deserved to be taken out, but in the second half they didn’t. But if you then have the likes of Lucho [Diaz] and Curtis Jones, you bring them in. For me, it’s not that much of a risk if you are 1-0 down to bring players in that can score a goal, as long as you know that these players can play with the same intensity as the ones that started. And that’s what Lucho and Curtis brought: intensity without the ball and quality with the ball.

On whether he ‘sees a big opportunity opening up’ after Liverpool went top of the Premier League today…

No, not because of the fact that they [Arsenal and Manchester City] lost. But what I do like a lot is that last week, two times we came one goal behind against Arsenal, 1-0 and 2-1, and two times we were able to fight ourselves back into the game. And in this game we were 1-0 down at half-time, which I think we deserved, and then to come back so strong against such a quality team that has spent so much money in recent years as well, led by a few very good managers in the last few years, then to come back the way we did gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.

But I also added after the game to the players that 45 minutes of the football we played in the first half will, in the end, punish you somewhere. So we need to show up from the start. The crowd was incredible the second half, our fans were incredible the second half. Our players [too] but our fans as well. It was the loudest crowd since I’ve been here. Let’s go now for Tuesday, where I think we need them again. To make sure we play like this from the start and the fans can help us from the start, because that definitely has influence on our players and in the end on our results.

On where this game ranks in terms of the proudest he has felt of his team…

I think a lot of things happen during a season. Sometimes you have to defend a lead, sometimes you have to come back after going 1-0 behind. So, this is a win you also need in a season where you want to be competitive, because you cannot always be from the first until the last second the best team on the pitch. Sometimes you have a difficult period and then you need to fight back, and that’s what we did. I didn’t ask – I would love them to do so and they did in the end – but I didn’t ask them to score two goals, I only asked them to play a different second half than we played against Nottingham Forest, with a different mentality – so if things go against you, you have to show up. Winners always do, and fortunately we have a lot of winners in our team that showed up in the second half.

On Joe Gomez’s performance and mentality…

Yeah, that says a lot about his mentality. That also says a lot about his quality, if you don’t play that much and you come in, in a game where your teammates were outplayed for 45 minutes, that you can come in and play like this. And it also says a lot about his mentality in recent weeks and months, where he didn’t play that much, but he is now able without playing a lot to play 90 minutes on Wednesday and to bring in a performance like this on Saturday. But this is what people told me when I came in: Joe is a top, top, top professional who always, no matter what position he is in, gives his best for the team and for himself in the end as well. He got the reward for it today because I think the fans loved what they saw – I definitely did.

• Arne Slot offers post-match update on Ibrahima Konate injury