2025-12-01 11:48:39

Arne Slot feels a sense of “relief” after Liverpool beat West Ham in the Premier League.

The Reds earned a much-needed 2-0 win against the Hammers on Sunday (30.11.25) and the coach was grateful for three points following a nightmare run of nine defeats in 12 matches beforehand.

Asked for his emotions at the end of the game, Slot said: “Relief, although I said immediately to my colleagues that it might be handball so I wasn’t surprised it took a while [to be confirmed]. I was happy when the referee pointed for the kick-off that it was 2-0.

“In terms of results, it is of course very good, but there were also a few things similar than recent games of ours and a few things that were different.

“The things similar were we couldn’t score our first chances, but the good thing was for the first time in many, many, many games, the first chance of the opponent didn’t go in as well. The best thing it was their only chance and it was after 90 minutes.

“It’s happened so many times to us that the first chance the opponent has, it goes in. Then you get a completely different game as we saw so many times now. Not conceding a set-piece and actually scoring from one as it came from a long throw, it took a while, but these are things that are so important if you want to win a game of football.

“People might say we had more control and didn’t concede as much but it makes quite a difference when you don’t go 1-0 down after five minutes and have to chase the game, at 0-0 you are controlling the game and at 1-0 you are in control even more.”

Alexander Isak netted his first Premier League goal for Liverpool following his £125 million arrival from Newcastle but Slot felt it was “unfair” to suggest that it had been a long time coming because of the forward’s disrupted start to his Anfield career.

The manager said: “That is also a bit unfair to him.

“Normally, as a No. 9, in general, he plays more minutes than I have played Alex now because of the obvious reasons. Even today, I had to take him off after 68 minutes.

“He has played a lot of games, but in terms of minutes, not so much. It’s very important for us as a team that we went 1-0 and important for him because it was his third chance of this game and I don’t think there was much more than 10 minutes left in him.

“To score just before you come off is important for us and him.”

Visit Bang Premier (main website)