Liverpool boss Arne Slot comes clean on brutal Arsenal comment which got him booked

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has explained that he was booked for a misunderstanding in the second half of the Reds’ 2-2 draw at Arsenal, after being accused of swearing at the fourth official.

A feisty second half saw a host of Arsenal players crowd referee Anthony Taylor at full-time and the man in the middle also showed yellow cards to Slot and his coach Sipke Hulshoff.

The Dutch boss picked up his second booking of the campaign, but insisted that fourth official Sam Barrott thought that Slot was swearing at him when complaining about Arsenal’s antics, but the comment was actually directed at a Liverpool player.

“They (Arsenal) always fell down when they had ball possession,” Slot said in his post-match press conference. “I said to Ibou (Konate): ‘This is a f***ing joke’, but the fourth official thought I was talking to him. I got a yellow for that!”

Overall, Slot was pleased with his side’s resilience to come from behind twice against Mikel Arteta’s outfit. Bukayo Saka scored the opening goal of the game after nine minutes, leaving Andy Robertson in his wake before rifling past Caoimhin Kelleher.

That lead lasted less than 10 minutes as Virgil van Dijk reacted quickest to Luis Diaz’s flick-on from a corner to head home from inside the six-yard area.

Mikel Merino then gave the hosts the lead once again just before half-time, heading home from Declan Rice’s sublime delivery. But after injuries to Gabriel and Jurrien Timber, Arsenal sat back and Mohamed Salah pounced after being teed up by Darwin Nunez.

“What surprises me is that people say we have had an easy start because everyone… was telling me before I came here, there’s no easy game in the Premier League, and now all of a sudden there is,” Slot said.

Van Dijk similarly felt that there were positives to take even though they could not snatch all three points in north London.

“It sounds very cliche but it’s better than losing,” he told the BBC. “There were opportunities for us to try and win the game. The first half was difficult. We came out well in the second half and pushed for the equaliser. We move on.”

“I think someone said to me last year, Man City lost here and they won the league. We’re in October. I’ve read so many things that Arsenal are out of the title race if they lose.

“We’re in the business where you can be on top one week and then not. We are in October and let’s see what it brings us at the end of the season. Enjoy the ride.”

Though Slot will be wary of picking up a ban should he receive one more yellow card in the Premier League, as head coaches who pick up three bookings are automatically hit with a one-game touchline suspension.