Liverpool manager Arne Slot says his team needs to tighten up in defense before the new Premier League season starts. The Reds lost the Community Shield on penalties to Crystal Palace after a 2–2 draw at Wembley.
Liverpool looked strong going forward. New signings Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong both made an impact, and Florian Wirtz set up Ekitike to score just four minutes into the game. But Liverpool couldn’t keep their lead. Palace equalized with a Jean-Philippe Mateta penalty, and then Ismaila Sarr made it 2–2 with 13 minutes left. Palace went on to win the shootout.
This fits a pattern from preseason. Liverpool lost 4–2 to AC Milan in Hong Kong and beat Athletic Bilbao 3–2 back at Anfield. The attack is clicking, but the defense is giving up easy chances on the counter.
Slot said the team created more against Palace than last season, when Liverpool only scored once across two league games (a 1–0 win away and a 1–1 draw at Anfield). Still, he knows they can’t keep conceding: if they want to fight for the title again, the back line has to be stronger.
Liverpool had one of the best defenses in the league last year—only Arsenal were better—so Slot wants to fix the issues fast. The Reds open their title defense at home to Bournemouth on Friday.
There might also be more transfer news coming. Liverpool have been linked with Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, though Slot says pressure at Liverpool is always high, with or without new signings.
