'It's just who we are' - Arne Slot channels inner-Ange Postecoglou as Liverpool boss fumes at penalty call during Leeds draw

Liverpool were held to a dispiriting goalless draw by Leeds on New Year's Day but Slot was left furious at Hugo Ekitike not being awarded a penalty. The striker stayed on his feet in the area instead of going down, and while Slot felt his honesty was to be lauded, he also pointed to a cadre of examples in which he felt Liverpool conceded "soft penalties". 

Speaking to the press, he said: "No, because he stayed on his feet. When he would have fallen down, that would probably be a penalty. But I can understand why he doesn't go down, because this season so many times when we were fouled inside the 18-yard box, we didn't get a penalty. So maybe as a result of that, players from us think, 'Yeah, let's then try to stay on our feet.' Because we've conceded a few where there was hardly any contact; Brentford away, Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, I can go on and on and on with soft penalties we've conceded this season. But when fouls were being made on us - Brentford away, Cody Gakpo, the referee said play on - maybe as a result of that, our players try to do everything to stay on their feet. Then it's hard for a VAR to interfere or a referee to give a penalty if you stay on your feet.

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Postecoglou famously said "it's just who we are, mate" after instructing his Spurs side, with nine men, to continue attacking and pressing against Chelsea last season, and Slot mimicked the Australian as he insisted he would never tell his players to exaggerate contact to win a spot-kick. 

He added: "No, we keep doing the same things. I don't believe that over a season you get what you deserve: so, sometimes things go against you and sometimes things go in favour of you. I don't believe in that. But in a long time of two, three, four seasons then I believe in it, then things will be sometimes - a few times - good for you. I think I'm not wrong if I say we have only had one penalty this season. For the team that has the most ball possession and is attacking so much in and around the box of the other team, it is quite surprising maybe. But I will not encourage them to do that - and if I would tell you now I am starting to encourage that then probably we will never get a penalty anymore! So, no.

"We are just who we are, we won the league by [being] the team we are last season. Of course, there will probably be one or two moments - I can remember one when Milos Kerkez went to the floor at Burnley away when he didn't get fouled. So, yes, you can find one or two moments when we go to the floor when there was not a foul, but I watch a lot of football and I see this happening so, so, so, so many times. But we stayed on our feet. Against West Ham when [Lucas] Paqueta did everything to get a second yellow card, one of my players tried to help him out not getting that one. Do we ever get the reward for that? I think asking the question is answering it as well."

The Reds now sit fourth in the Premier League table but they remain 12 points behind leaders Arsenal. They had won three on the spin to allay fears their slump would continue, but their draw with Leeds is yet another sign that they have not quite clicked this season. By comparison, Daniel Farke's side are now 16th, and seven points clear of the relegation zone. 

Liverpool play Fulham next time out before a meeting with league leaders Arsenal. While they may not end the season as champions, they could have a huge say in deciding the trophy's final destination.