Liverpool’s Arne Slot admits ‘emotions got the better of me’, explaining derby red card

LONDON – Arne Slot admitted that “emotions got the better of me” after he was shown a red card following Liverpool’s fiery 2-2 English Premier League draw against rivals Everton in midweek.

The Reds were on course to extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points at Goodison Park on Feb 12, but James Tarkowski struck a stunning volley to level in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

Abdoulaye Doucoure’s wild celebrations in front of the away fans sparked a furious reaction, with Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones confronting Doucoure, leading to the dismissal of both men.

With some supporters on the pitch, stewards and police became involved before Liverpool boss Slot and assistant Sipke Hulshoff were also sent off by referee Michael Oliver.

Slot, whose team host struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers on Feb 16, is now waiting for the Football Association to review Oliver’s match report before he finds out what, if any, sanction he will face. He could face no further action, be reminded of his responsibilities, or be charged, which would likely result in a touchline ban.

The Dutchman said on Feb 14 there were “many things in extra (stoppage) time that led to me being quite emotional” but was unwilling to go into details about the incident.

“I think what happened was that the extra time, the intentional five minutes that ended up being eight... and the emotions got the better of me,” he said.

“And if I could do that differently, I would love to do it differently. I’m hoping to do it differently next time as well, but what has exactly been said or what has happened, there’s an ongoing process and I don’t want to disturb that.”

Slot, in his first season at Anfield, also praised his team’s mental strength in the highly charged atmosphere at Everton, who are much improved in recent weeks under David Moyes, back at Goodison Park for a second spell.

“We’ve been praised so many times this season about how well these players can play, but they showed a different side of themselves on Wednesday, in my opinion also much better than the year before (a 2-0 defeat),” he said.

“They were mentally so, so, so strong during a game that was played maybe in the most difficult circumstances... and to stay strong together, to fight so hard, to be mentally so strong, that gives me a lot of confidence.

“I already knew how well they can play, but the togetherness they showed during the 98 minutes shows me that we are a very, very difficult team to beat.”

The next challenge now will be Wolves, who snapped a four-match losing streak in the league when they beat Aston Villa earlier in February, and have won five of their 10 matches in all competitions since new manager Vitor Pereira took over in December.

“We’ll face a strong team, in a fantastic environment,” said Pereira.

“We have to defend with our tools, with our work, but I believe that we’ll play a good game for sure, fighting for a good result. I respect every team, and Liverpool are one of the best in this league.” AFP, REUTERS