Arne Slot’s Carabao Cup gamble and why Liverpool are now under more pressure

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Arne Slot‘s decision to rotate and rest for the Carabao Cup not only led to Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven games, but increased the pressure on a decisive run of fixtures to come. Remove the context of Liverpool’s current run of form and Slot’s 10 changes for the visit of Crystal Palace were not unreasonable.

“If I look at our performance against Brentford, two days after we played Frankfurt away, I saw there a team that maybe struggled with playing three games in seven days,” he told reporters in his post-match press conference. “I think in this moment in time, with only 15 or 16 players available, it felt to me that this was the right decision and I haven’t changed my opinion about that after the result.” Later in his press conference Slot hinted at an issue with Liverpool’s squad depth after a summer in which eight first-team players were sold and four more were loaned out, along with the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.

That clash with Villa kicks off a run of three games in nine days that will decide whether Slot’s call to effectively surrender the Carabao Cup was a calculated risk or a hapless gamble at a time when victory would have boosted morale. Liverpool now have to beat Villa – or the gamble backfires Villa on Saturday, Real Madrid on Tuesday and then Man City the following Sunday; it is a blockbuster period in Liverpool’s season and one in which Slot desperately needs a return to form.