Arne Slot has admitted that Liverpool have ‘dropped too many points’ in away matches this season, with one more fixture on the road still to come in 2025/26.
The Reds play their final away game of the campaign on Friday night when they take on Aston Villa, with the teams level on 59 points each and a win for either ensuring Champions League qualification.
LFC are unbeaten in their last four trips to Villa Park (two wins and two draws) since the shock 7-2 reverse in October 2020 and won the reverse fixture at Anfield earlier this season, so at least recent history is in their favour as they prepare to take on Unai Emery’s side.
Slot was asked about Liverpool’s away form in this campaign when he spoke to the media on Thursday morning, and he accepted that results on the road haven’t been good enough, particularly in the immediate aftermath of Champions League games.
He said (via Liverpool Echo): “That’s one of the reasons where are here; we’ve dropped too many points [away]. Dropping points in away games happens mainly after Europe in games where Liverpool are usually able to win.
“Villa away is always difficult but we’ve dropped points in away games where we usually don’t. That is one of the reasons why we have not qualified yet for the Champions League.
“The first challenge is to be fitter and more ready to play every three days next season. We’ve had more than a few times a good spell after 70-80 minutes, but that goes hand-in-hand with dropped points in late phases of the game.”
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Unless Liverpool win tomorrow night, they’ll end the Premier League season with more defeats than victories on the road, and with a negative goal different from away matches in the top flight.
Such have been their woes on their travels that even relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur have won more away points (26) than the Reds (24), and Villa’s record at home is strong (11 wins out of 18 in the league, two of which came against Arsenal and Manchester City).
While we’ve lost at Chelsea, Brentford, Man City, Bournemouth, Brighton this season straight after Champions League assignments, there have been no such midweek distractions in the lead-up to tomorrow’s fixture, having not played since Saturday lunchtime.
It’s actually Emery’s side who could be sidetracked by continental commitments, with the Europa League final against Freiburg to come next Wednesday, and that’s a situation Liverpool must use to their advantage at Villa Park.
Away wins have been all too rare in this campaign, but if the Reds can pick up one more on Friday night, they’ll at least ensure that Anfield plays host to Champions League nights again next term, when Slot has insisted he’ll still be in charge.
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We played so many games under klopp and there weren’t such excuses. Klopp trained and grilled his players to be ready for the many games we need to play. Perhaps slot is still living in the Dutch league with feyenoord that doesn’t play that many games. He should return to nederlands.
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