Arne Slot admits to 'mistakes' as time is running out for Liverpool boss

The Reds have not won in their last five Premier League games, and ahead of matches against Newcastle and Manchester City, further slip-ups could prove terminal for Liverpool's Champions League hopes

Arne Slot admitted Liverpool cannot afford more slip-ups this season(Image: 2026 Catherine Ivill - AMA)

Arne Slot has admitted Liverpool “cannot afford” more mistakes in the battle for the Champions League places, as the Reds prepare to face fellow top-four hopefuls Newcastle this weekend.

Liverpool’s grip on fourth place slipped last week following a bruising 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth. The inconsistencies of the chasing pack meant Liverpool could not be reeled in, despite drawing four league games in a row prior to that loss on the south coast.

But having dropped to sixth, behind Manchester United and Chelsea, who have recently changed head coaches, and with a mounting list of absentees, Liverpool’s chances of securing a top-four finish are looking increasingly fragile.

With five teams within three points of the champions, another defeat this weekend could see Liverpool slip further down the table.

Newcastle is among those sides in the chasing pack, and Slot has admitted ahead of that encounter that he must find a solution to the problems that have riddled the Reds’ Premier League season before they become terminal.

"We already thought every single period was pivotal," the Liverpool head coach said in Friday’s press conference.

"That hasn't changed, but it’s obvious that the closer you come to the end, the less opportunities you have to make a mistake and we are now in a position that we cannot afford a lot of mistakes anymore because we have made too many.

Arne Slot is expecting another tough challenge against Newcastle(Image: Getty Images)

“It’s clear and obvious that the closer you come to the end, and it’s the same in the Champions League, where you go to the knockout stage, there is not a lot of room for mistakes anymore.

“I think throughout the whole season every game is crucial, but the way we have positioned ourselves now makes every game even more crucial because the top four is what we want to achieve.

“It [Newcastle] is a crucial game, as is the next one and the one. We have experienced how tough it is to play against Newcastle.

“In the one and a half years I have been here it is always a very tough game for us, but for them as well.

“It’s a great game to look forward to because we both had a good result in the week, and a home game at Anfield is always something to look forward to.”

Slot confirmed he will be able to call upon the services of Ibrahima Konate and Curtis Jones this weekend after both missed the midweek win over Qarabag, but Joe Gomez will not return in time following the hip injury he suffered after Bournemouth.

Slot also described Jeremie Frimpong’s midweek injury as “not as bad as we thought” and expects the defender to be missing for a few weeks.