Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has rejected the suggestion that his side were not as “hungry” as opponents Newcastle United during Sunday’s Carabao Cup final defeat.
Newcastle won 2-1 at Wembley Stadium to secure their first domestic major trophy since the FA Cup in 1955. Eddie Howe’s side went 2-0 up thanks to goals either side of half-time from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak, with Federico Chiesa scoring a stoppage-time consolation for Liverpool.
Newcastle had reached the Carabao Cup final two years ago but lost to Manchester United. Liverpool, meanwhile, won the competition in 2024 and 2022.
Asked if he thought the Newcastle players were “hungrier”, Slot told a news conference: “No, because it’s 70 years since they last won a trophy maybe, but that’s for the fans.
“Players have 15 years to play football and they want to win every single trophy they are competing for. That’s also what we want.
“But it was a game that went the way they wanted it to go. And they got just before half-time some extra energy with the goal, which they probably deserved after the first 45 minutes because they were threatening us more than we were threatening them.
“I don’t think there was more hunger for them; the game went the way they wanted it to go and they are stronger in that part of football than us and that’s why they beat us.”
Sunday’s loss means Liverpool can only win the Premier League this season, after Slot’s side were eliminated in the FA Cup by Plymouth Argyle in February and knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week.
The penalty shootout defeat by PSG at Anfield only came on Tuesday, giving Liverpool less than a week to prepare for the cup final.
Slot, though, rejected the idea that his team struggled physically against Newcastle, saying: “If you looked at how we played on Tuesday, it was the best physical performance in my eight, or nine or 10 months at Liverpool. I’ve never seen a team working so hard trying to press the other team so aggressive; running so much.
“Today, it wasn’t about running. It was more about duels. Mentally it’s always tough to lose a final. It’s always tough if you wear the Liverpool shirt if you go out of Europe. But again, last season, I’m not sure (if it) was the quarter-final or last 16 when they lost against Atalanta 3-0.
“It’s part of football if you face strong teams that you can lose as well. Ideally, you go through the whole season only winning, winning, winning. But it can happen that after eight months of football, you lose twice in a row if you face Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle.”
Liverpool are 12 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and return to action with a Merseyside derby at Anfield on Wednesday, April 2.
(Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
