Liverpool boss Arne Slot hits back at Chelsea star over Mohamed Salah comments

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Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella admitted that the Blues targeted Mohamed Salah in the build-up to their winning goal against Liverpool earlier this month

Arne Slot jumped to Mohamed Salah's defence following Chelsea star Marc Cucurella's admission that the Blues deliberately targeted the Liverpool winger prior to their decisive goal earlier this month.

The left-back advanced into space down Liverpool's right flank and delivered a cross for Willian Estevao to net a stoppage-time winner at Stamford Bridge, with the west London club's euphoric celebrations resulting in manager Enzo Maresca receiving his marching orders.

Cucurella subsequently revealed that Maresca had instructed his players to capitalise on the space vacated by Salah late in the encounter, suggesting that the Egyptian's positioning alongside more forward-thinking midfielders like Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai left the Reds vulnerable to exploitation.

"We know that Salah is always ready for the counter-attack," Cucurella told Sky Sports following the fixture. "So we practiced that, and the manager said that the space might be there (on Liverpool's right side).

"We saw that it was the last minute but we kept attacking. I tried to give my last effort and Enzo (Fernandez) gave me the ball, and I crossed for Estevao."

Prior to his team's encounter with Manchester United on Sunday, Slot came to the defence of Wirtz, Szoboszlai and especially Salah, arguing that the result might have been entirely different had the Egyptian converted the opportunities he fashioned by pushing forward. "I think they're (Wirtz and Szoboszlai) both attacking midfielders and both are expected to defend, like all our 11 players are expected to defend," Slot stated.

"In this particular case I heard the comments of Cucurella, and also saw how they scored the [goal to make it] 2-1, but I could have also showed you five or six moments where Mo could have made the difference for us.

"And if that would have happened then we would have had a conversation like last season, where he so many times made the difference for us.

"But if that doesn't happen then you get comments like this. It's always the balance between winger and full-backs.

"I want our full-backs to attack as well, so we have to find the right balance in that, but we are conceding too many crosses compared to last season, and this is something I'm aware of and we have to do better."