Dominik Szoboszlai claims he and his Liverpool team-mates relaxed too much at 2-0 because they thought the match was already won – and has questioned whether they’re doing “everything possible” to win games – after their 3-3 draw at Leeds United. The Reds led twice, through Hugo Ekitike’s quickfire second-half brace and then Szoboszlai’s finish after two goals in two minutes from Leeds had made it 2-2. But Ao Tanaka’s 96th-minute finish at a corner saw the relegation-threatened Whites secure a point.
That means Liverpool have only one two of their last 10 Premier League matches with the manager of the champions, Arne Slot, under increasing pressure. Speaking to Sky Sports, Szoboszlai pointed the finger at the players and suggested their attitude wasn’t right after establishing a two-goal lead. The Hungarian, Liverpool’s best player this season, said: “I don’t know what happened after 2-0. I think we thought the game was over.
“We said at the beginning of the game that this was the kind of game where you can never underestimate the team you play against. Maybe after the penalty, they just had their momentum to make it 2-2. We came back, so it was a good reaction from the team, but conceding again from a set-piece is not a nice way. We knew we made a mistake by letting them come back to 2-2 but I have nothing to say about the result.
“What is in the dressing room, stays in the dressing room. It is not for the public. We have to manage it, we have to find solutions. There are times when you have to look at yourselves, you have to go home and ask yourself if you did everything possible. If the answer is yes, then keep going and the momentum will come.
“Last year we became champions, now I don’t even know what position we are. Every team is doing well. Every team wants to win against the champions and we knew that before the season as well. We have to find solutions, we have to show reactions and everybody has to take responsibility.
“Not always the old guys or the guys that have been here longer, everybody. Everybody has to go on the pitch and show they are ready to fight for this badge.”
Ibrahima Konate gave away a needless penalty that Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored from before Anton Stach equalised just 165 seconds later to cancel out Ekitike’s double. Szoboszlai made it 3-2 with 10 minutes of normal time to play before Tanaka’s late leveller left Liverpool frustrated.
Manager Slot said: “What you can say is he tries to do everything to prevent a cross from coming. If you want to call it a mistake, it’s a mistake from hard work and trying. There was contact, that’s for sure. He was already on his way, going to the floor, but again we should look at ourselves.”
And the Dutch coach added on the result overall: “It’s not the first time we’ve dropped points. It’s not the first time we have conceded a goal in the last minute. It’s not the first time we have conceded a set-piece. I think everyone can understand what the mood was in the dressing room. I don’t think we conceded any chance until we were 2-0 up.
The penalty wasn’t a chance but we made it a chance because it led to a penalty, with a VAR intervention. So 2-1, then maybe there first chance of the game led to 2-2. We showed mentality to go 3-2 up. I think after that we had control. Of course, there’s always the long ball, second ball, which you can’t always make sure it doesn’t happen.
“And then a set-piece comes in nine minutes of extra time and they score. That is part of our season. But the ones to blame are us. We concede these chances.”
Victory would have lifted the Reds into sixth but the draw leaves them eighth and in danger of slipping back down the table with Brighton and Manchester United having winnable fixtures to come this weekend. Even more worryingly, Liverpool have now conceded 24 goals in 15 league games this season, with no other team in the top 12 having conceded more than 21.
And for the second time in their last three matches, Mohamed Salah – the fourth-highest goalscorer in Premier League history – was an unused substitute to create another uncomfortable talking point around this Liverpool side.