'You will never be able to win a game!' - Arne Slot tears Liverpool apart for Man City collapse despite seeing positives in FA Cup demolition

The Liverpool manager was left fuming after a disastrous 20-minute defensive collapse saw his side concede four goals against a rampant Manchester City, inspired by an Erling Haaland hat-trick and a goal from Antoine Semenyo. This latest blow effectively ends Liverpool’s domestic cup hopes following their earlier Carabao Cup exit, leaving the Reds to navigate a increasingly bleak season as they face an uphill battle to secure a Champions League spot for next year.

"Disappointment about the result, disappointment about going out and very disappointed about the 20 minutes where we conceded four goals," Slot told BBC Sport. "The way we defended in that period, you will never be able to win a game of football. There are many reoccurring themes. One is we miss our chances, one is in general we don't concede much but the few chances we concede go in. That is maybe due to how much we put in. We have to improve the box defending and that was also shown today."

Despite his dismal verdict, the coach saw some positives from the game, adding: "I liked a lot I saw today. We did a lot very well on and off the ball, generated some good chances. We kept them away from any danger. Until that penalty moment there was a lot to like. The 20 minutes after, for what you can expect of a Liverpool team were far from good enough defensively."

Mohamed Salah, playing his first game since announcing he will leave Liverpool this summer, endured a frustrating outing. The forward hesitated on multiple clear openings and saw his second-half spot-kick comfortably parried away by James Trafford - a missed opportunity that echoed his penalty failure against Galatasaray in the Champions League just before the recent international break. Despite this visible dip in form, Slot refused to single out his star man, instead focusing on the collective failure to convert opportunities.

"I wouldn't focus on one player, I would focus on the team and that probably sums up us today but also maybe large parts of the season," Slot explained. "I think it is the second one he missed and Dominik Szoboszlai also already missed a penalty so it's not only that we miss big chances, this season we have missed a few penalties. In the first half there was a chance for Mo when we played the fast counter attack. Unfortunately that didn't go in and you have to score goals if you want to have a chance to win the game."

With the FA Cup exit, Liverpool's only remaining hope for silverware rests in the Champions League, where they face a daunting quarter-final trip to Paris Saint-Germain. Slot is aware that his squad needs a massive psychological lift if they are to compete against Europe's elite after such a demoralising domestic defeat.

Slot concluded: "That's what Liverpool players have to do, we have to react to this defeat and this disappointing season. There is a chance for us on Wednesday. We have shown today for only 35 minutes that we can compete. We can take positives from those 35 minutes but if we defend like the 20 minutes afterwards we will have a big problem. That is what we have to address. Players that have shown so much quality in the past now have a fantastic chance to show that again against PSG."

Speaking to TNT Sports following the match, Slot emphasised the critical importance of the Champions League, with the upcoming tie serving as a revenge mission following the Reds' exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain last season. Highlighting the mental resilience required to navigate their current challenges, Slot said on the importance of the Champions League to making this season a success: "Very big and very important because it is not every season that you play in the quarter-finals of the Champions League."