🔗 Share this article

Liverpool's manager stated firmly that Mohamed Salah and the Swedish striker will build a effective partnership in attack after Liverpool suffered a stoppage-time loss at the hands of their London rivals, resulting in them relinquish top spot to the Gunners.

Salah and Isak did not perform to expectations as last season's title winners suffered their third successive defeat in all competitions, but the Dutch coach is confident that his big-name forwards will get better once they develop chemistry with each other.

“With increased match time, the better their understanding becomes,” the head coach stated. “It requires effort to attain a high standard and then it’s extremely difficult in football because you also play against very good teams to maintain that standard. To clarify is consistency. However, it's evident that we had our changes in the summer. Additions were made at different moments.”

“Recently, there’s scarcely any training time. Yet, we have to try to bring these players in. If the result had been more favorable today with a point or victory then we would have had a great start to the season if you take into account the various events in the summer in Liverpool.”

The manager, who was forced to adjust his defence after the French defender was substituted with a leg issue in the second half, defended Salah’s erratic shooting.

“What I like is that we got him on several occasions in the position he prefers,” the Dutchman said. “And that's where I want him because he has demonstrated in his career and since I’m here that in these scenarios he finds the net. He was presented with numerous openings to do what he’s done so often. He is only human and you cannot expect each opportunity he gets is guaranteed to score. Sometimes we think that way because of his past achievements during the prior term.”

The Anfield side face their historic rivals after the international break, and Slot thinks that improved conversion might have avoided his side from defeat against their recent opponents. “Across those matches we produced greater opportunities than the sides we encountered but it's a fact that our goal tally was limited to one in each match and our opponent netted two goals,” he explained.

The Blues went ahead through Moisés Caicedo’s first-half strike and it appeared they would accept a tie when the Dutch forward made it 1-1. But Enzo Maresca’s side climbed to sixth place when the young talent, popped up in the dying moments to score his first goal in domestic competition.

Estêvão’s intervention sparked emotional reactions and resulted in Maresca receiving a further caution for his joy. Chelsea’s head coach must complete a dugout prohibition when his team travel to their next opponents.

Maresca’s assistant was left to conduct press obligations. “He’s okay,” Caballero stated of Maresca. “His absence is due because of the red card. He wanted me to praise the players because of the effort they have done today. We deserved the victory because of the opportunities we generated.”