“Another 7-2 humiliation”, “He’s genuinely lost the plot” - Liverpool fans furious after Slot refuses to name 2 players in line-up vs Aston Villa

Liverpool fans were left unhappy by manager Arne Slot's decision to bench Federico Chiesa and Florian Wirtz for their Premier League match against Aston Villa on Saturday, November 1. Many claim that the duo should have started the clash.

Slot has to work with Giorgi Mamardashvili in goal, as Alisson is still out injured. Conor Bradley is his only option at right-back, with Andy Robertson getting the nod ahead of Milos Kersez on the opposite flank.

Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk are the starting center-backs, with Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister in the middle of the pitch. Dominik Szoboszlai is the player supporting the midfield duo, with Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo on the wings and Hugo Ekitike leading the attack.

The lineup has not gone down well with the Liverpool fans, who believe Slot is making a mistake by benching two key players. Some of the fans posted:

Arne Slot spoke to the media about his squad depth ahead of the game and said:

"We miss nothing. I am happy that you ask this question. I am completely happy with the team and convinced with the strategy and the policy we have, but the issue is not all of them have had a proper pre-season, or have been injured during the season. So then when three or four are injured, you go back to 16 players. I am a firm believer that 20 or 21 players are enough, but then you have to keep them fit as we did last season. We are struggling to keep them fitter, for obvious reasons."

Liverpool have lost their last four Premier League matches and are looking to bring an end the losing streak. They come into the game after a Carabao Cup loss to Crystal Palace during the midweek.

Arne Slot admits no excuses for Liverpool's results

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted that no excuses can justify his side's performances in the recent defeats. He believes that the only argument was the lack of rest the players were getting and said:

"No excuses for our results before people say this again, but we had to play a lot of away games with only two days' rest in between. That would have been a difficult schedule for every player last season. I mean that for a player who has been fit all through pre-season.

"That has not been our situation. Then you have to manage it, the upcoming week is again three in seven or eight days. That is nothing to do with squad depth, it has to do with how you get through the season in terms of injuries, availability and players ability to play every game."

Liverpool have won just one of their last seven matches in all competitions. They have six defeats in those games, but can jump to second in the table with a win against Aston Villa.

Edited by Sripad