Slot accepts the situation and has made a decision after Liverpool's heavy 0-4 defeat to Manchester City, resulting in their elimination from the FA Cup.
On 4 April 2026, Arne Slot, Liverpool's manager, whose team ranks fifth in the English Premier League, spoke to TNT Sports after the 2025-26 FA Cup quarterfinal match, where Liverpool were comprehensively defeated 0-4 away by Manchester City.
This leaves Liverpool only with the chance to compete for the UEFA Champions League title, facing the defending champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the quarterfinals, as well as fighting for a spot in next season's UCL, competing against Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Chelsea.
Arne Slot commented on Liverpool's heavy loss to Manchester City: "It's very disappointing to be knocked out, not only in terms of how it happened but also the scoreline. It's another major disappointment for us."
"What our team has lacked all season is the ability to convert chances into goals. I think the game was balanced until they earned the penalty, and the last time we played here, we conceded a goal before halftime—today was the same."
"We got a penalty and had chances, but that doesn’t tell me much. The first 35 minutes showed the team I want to see, but in the last 20 minutes, we had to defend much better."
"Conceding the second goal before halftime was not good at all and negatively affected our morale, especially after last season. It's really hard to accept. The only good thing is we didn't concede more goals."
"Regarding Mohamed Salah missing the penalty, I won't focus on any single player. I focus on the team, and that perhaps best sums up our situation today and for most of the season."
"I think this is the second time he has missed, and Dominic Szoboszlai has also missed a penalty. So it’s not only us missing important chances; we have missed several penalties this season."
"In the first half, Mohamed had a chance during a quick counterattack. Unfortunately, it didn’t go in, and you have to score if you want a chance to win."
"Regarding the UCL match against PSG, if you want to perform well on Wednesday, losing 0-4 is already bad, but losing by a bigger margin would be an even bigger problem for us going there."
"I tried to get the team back into the game to make it 1-4 or 2-4 but also to ensure we wouldn't concede more than four goals. That was my main focus."
"I substituted Joe Gomez because since I've been here, he's shown that playing two consecutive full 90-minute matches isn't always easy. So if we want to use him on Wednesday, taking him off today is beneficial."
"The Champions League this season is very important because it’s not every season we reach the quarterfinals. We look forward to facing strong teams again. We want to compete in the Champions League next season because we still have a lot to fight for."
"We've faced many obstacles and disappointments, but that is part of being a footballer and human. You have to stand firm when things don’t go well, and that is what is happening now."
"Players who have shown great quality in the past now have an excellent opportunity to prove themselves again against PSG."