Video: Soboslai lashes out at Liverpool fans... and warns his teammates

The end of the match saw a striking moment, featuring Dominik Szoboszlai, who went over to greet the Liverpool fans who had remained at Anfield until the final whistle.

As the Hungarian player began to clap, his body language quickly changed; he shrugged his shoulders towards the fans in a moment that sparked controversy, before attempting to rile them up in what appeared to be an emotional outburst.

His teammate Federico Chiesa intervened quickly, pulling him away and calming him down in an attempt to defuse the situation before it escalated.

Soboslai appeared before the cameras of "Spíler TV" looking deeply frustrated by the performance and the result.

When asked whether the penalty that led to the first goal was the turning point, Soboslai rejected this suggestion, insisting that it was the second goal that dashed his team’s hopes.

He said: “In my opinion, the penalty wasn’t the turning point, but rather the second goal we conceded. There was only one minute left, and you could have gone into the second half 1-0 down, but conceding another goal before the break isn’t a positive thing.”

He added: “After that, you go into the second half and you still have a chance, but against Manchester City it’s very difficult to come back from 2-0 down, so I see the second goal as the decisive moment.”

As for the impact of the international break and the varying levels of fitness among the players, Soboslai refused to use this as an excuse, insisting that the team must not hide behind excuses.

He explained: “That can’t be an excuse; they were also with their national teams and played matches. If you’re not ready, say so and start on the bench.”

He continued: “Fatigue, the timing of the match, or the fact that it’s in the FA Cup… these are all excuses. I think the better team won, and that was clear. We should have settled the match in the first half because the chances were there for us.”

The Liverpool player issued a stark warning about the team’s future, particularly with crucial matches looming in the Champions League and the Premier League.

He said: “We need to pull ourselves together, because if we carry on playing like this, we’ll soon be forgetting about our Champions League campaign, and even about qualifying for next season’s competition.”

He concluded: “We need to take a long, hard look at ourselves and think about how to turn this disastrous season into one we can look back on with pride.”