Arne Slot still managed to find one “nice thing” after Liverpool’s sobering defeat to Wolves on Tuesday night.
The Reds’ recent momentum came to an abrupt halt at Molineux, where Andre Trindade’s stoppage-time strike handed them a ninth Premier League defeat of the campaign and dealt a blow to their hopes of securing Champions League football.
However, a quirk in the fixture schedule means the sides will meet again at the same ground in under 70 hours, this time in the FA Cup fifth round — giving the Merseysiders an immediate shot at revenge against Rob Edwards’ team.
Slot welcomes chance for quick revenge
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Slot was reminded of the upcoming cup tie and viewed it as a positive, stressing that Liverpool now have something to prove.
The Reds boss said: “Yeah, which is a good thing and a nice thing because we have something to prove on Friday.”
Liverpool must improve significantly
Slot may see the swift rematch as a positive, but many Kopites will struggle to feel enthusiastic about returning to Molineux so soon after Tuesday’s display.
Stephen Warnock described Liverpool as “slow” and “boring,” while Jermaine Pennant questioned the head coach over the lack of aggression shown against a Wolves side still rooted to the bottom of the Premier League.
From a boardroom perspective, the FA Cup may rank lowest among the three competitions Liverpool remain in, but for supporters it arguably represents the club’s most realistic chance of silverware this season.
Victory on Friday would send the Reds into the quarter-finals and boost belief that Wembley glory is within reach — particularly with Manchester United and Aston Villa already out.
But to achieve that, Liverpool will need to deliver a far stronger performance than they managed against Wolves first time around. The rapid rematch will only prove to be “a good thing” if Slot can guide his side to victory on Friday.
