Liverpool
Wirtz rebuts Van Dijk claim as Slot criticises defensive collapse after 4–0 defeat
Wirtz disputes Van Dijk’s ‘gave up’ line, after their 4–0 defeat; Slot singled out defensive errors.
Florian Wirtz has publicly pushed back against Virgil van Dijk’s assertion that Liverpool “gave up” during their 4–0 loss to Manchester City, while manager Arne Slot delivered a far sterner appraisal of how the goals were conceded.
Asked about Van Dijk’s comments before Wednesday’s meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, Wirtz said: “I didn’t know about this, that he said this,” and added: “But I think I would not agree directly because we still tried to create chances to turn the game around.” He acknowledged the psychological strain of a heavy deficit: “Of course, when the game gets longer, and it is in the 80th minute, and you are 3–0 down, it is mentally difficult to go and go and go.”
Wirtz defended his team’s effort through the closing stages. “We just tried to give our best in the game—also when it was 3–0 or 4–0. I think we also had a few chances then. This is not our standards that we lose 4–0 to City. We wanted to go through the round. Next year, we should go better and be better on the pitch.”
The result was particularly galling for supporters and the manager because of the manner in which the defeat unfolded. After an opening first-half blitz from Erling Haaland, the Liverpool defence began making a string of sloppy errors and the side failed to recover.
Slot, speaking to TNT Sports, made clear this was not an isolated worry: “It’s not the first time this season that we’ve conceded goals that were a concern to me.” He continued: “Now there were four in one game, four chances conceded, four goals conceded. That’s not the first time this season. I think many times this season we’ve only conceded one or two chances and those were goals.”
On the pattern of mistakes, Slot said: “So the manner we conceded them, I think I could separate them ‘two and two’ where every goal you concede something goes wrong, and you would like to improve something, but two out of the four were goals I hated more to concede than the other two.”
Liverpool
Mac Allister hints at Liverpool contract talks as investment changes the mood
Mac Allister says Liverpool’s new investment could influence talks over his contract extension.
Alexis Mac Allister has suggested that Liverpool’s recent outside investment could shape any future discussion over a new deal, with the midfielder acknowledging that several moving parts are now in play around the club.
Interest in what the investment might mean has already extended beyond the balance sheet. There is a clear sense that it could influence spending on infrastructure, major signings or even the salaries of players already in the squad.
Mac Allister is among those whose situation may be affected. Although Liverpool previously informed him that they would not be renewing his current contract, which runs until 2028, his strong early-season return to form under the Andoni Iraola era has reopened the possibility that the club could reconsider.
The 27-year-old pointed to the manager change, the arrival of a new sporting director and the new investors as factors that could play into talks over his future.
“Now, the manager has changed, the sporting director has changed, and new investors are coming into the club,” Mac Allister told journalist Gaston Edul . “Today I’m in a position when anything can happen. I enjoy being here a lot.”
That assessment comes after an uneven 2025-26 campaign, with Mac Allister now showing enough improvement to make a contract extension harder to dismiss completely.
“I know I still have time left at the club, which is what I want the most,” he added. “I don’t judge the decision they made, I just take my emotions and we move forward. Everything can change before I become a free agent.”
Julian Ward’s arrival as sporting director is also relevant, given his role in bringing Mac Allister to Liverpool from Brighton & Hove Albion. The Athletic have reported that “the door isn’t closed regarding a new contract,” while adding that “Liverpool won’t be in a hurry regarding Mac Allister’s future.”
Arsenal
Barcola highlights Liverpool’s control problem after Arsenal defeat
Barcola says Liverpool need more control after Arsenal and the numbers partly support him.
Bradley Barcola’s reaction to Liverpool’s loss to Arsenal has put a clear focus on the next stage of Andoni Iraola’s rebuild. The forward said the team need greater control and more composure in matches of this kind, especially when they are drawn into direct play rather than keeping the ball on the ground.
That message comes against a generally positive backdrop. Liverpool have already moved past Atlético Madrid, LASK and Villarreal with different levels of comfort, and they remain on course for a top-eight finish for the third straight season. That would spare them two extra fixtures in the new year.
Results have not been the major issue in Iraola’s opening months. Arne Slot’s successor has suffered only two defeats in all competitions, and Liverpool’s European form has been matched by a Carabao Cup quarterfinal place and fifth position in the Premier League. Even so, the rare home defeat to Arsenal showed that the side are still evolving.
Liverpool had their strongest moments after falling behind, with their work without the ball making life difficult for the champions. They controlled territory for long stretches and recorded 30 touches in Arsenal’s box in the first half, yet they did not manage a shot on target before the interval. Alexis Mac Allister also had a chance to level the game before half-time.
After the break, Mikel Arteta’s adjustments helped Arsenal settle, and Liverpool’s momentum faded. Barcola struggled to make repeated one-on-one progress and at times did not even look to take Jurrïen Timber on.
The numbers back up part of his complaint. Liverpool completed just 11 long passes, with a success rate of 25%, and only 11% of their crosses found a team-mate. Their average possession share ranks seventh in the Premier League, per Opta, while they have also produced 17 through balls, the joint-10th-highest total.
Barcola’s own game is built around running in behind, and he is still waiting for his first Premier League goal. Signed for huge money as Liverpool’s third-most expensive arrival ever, he was not universally viewed as a direct Mohamed Salah replacement because he prefers to play on the left. Salah left Anfield at the end of last season and later joined Trabzonspor on a free transfer, but Barcola said he feels no pressure from that departure: “Regarding Mo Salah, he’s a legend here. A huge one. He’s done big things here, and for that I have an enormous respect for him. But it’s not pressure for me at all.
Arsenal
Hincapié’s swipe adds edge to Arsenal’s Anfield victory
Arsenal won at Anfield, then Piero Hincapié added a pointed social media jab at Virgil van Dijk.
Arsenal left Anfield with three valuable points, but Piero Hincapié also found room for a pointed dig at Virgil van Dijk on social media after the final whistle.
The defender’s three-word jab appeared to reference a post Van Dijk made in January, following a goalless meeting with Arsenal. That earlier message had drawn attention to the competition emblem, with the Liverpool captain posting while his side were still champions. The post has since been flooded with comments, many apparently from Arsenal supporters, who have continued to remind Van Dijk of it.
Van Dijk’s January caption was aimed at acknowledging the serious injury suffered by Conor Bradley in that match. He wrote: “We are a team, we are friends but most importantly we are a family,” echoing the final line of a hand-written fan letter.
Hincapié’s swipe sat awkwardly alongside a result Arsenal had every reason to celebrate on its own merits. Declan Rice played a decisive role in the winner, setting up Kai Havertz during an explosive opening spell for the visitors. Arsenal then had to absorb sustained pressure, with the hosts dominating much of the remaining 75 minutes.
Rice said the performance reflected the standards building inside the club. “For sure,” Rice agreed when this point was put to him in the postmatch mixed zone. “It’s just drilled into us. What the manager [Mikel Arteta] has built at this club and the togetherness of the lads—you don’t get that performance without the lads being all together.
“The way the manager has everything under control, the way everyone works towards everything he wants is not like anything I’ve ever seen before. So credit to us for what we have been doing for the last few years. Now it’s a massive thing to deliver again this year.”
Rice added: “We had to dig in and give it everything because they throw so many attacks at you,” Rice added. “We had to be resilient and strong. It was a great win.”
