'Same old story' - Arne Slot reduces Liverpool expectations after embarrassing loss to bottom-side Wolves

Liverpool manager Arne Slot felt it was the "same old story" for his side as they fell to an embarrassing 2-1 loss to bottom-club Wolves in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

Liverpool have struggled for consistency all season and it seems it's now getting to Slot. The reigning Premier League champions won their first five league games of the campaign, but have strung together no more than three wins in a row since then.

They were on a three-game winning streak immediately prior to the trip to Wolves - who were on just 13 points at the time - having beaten Sunderland, Nottingham Forest and West Ham.

After a tepid first half, Wolves pulled ahead in the 78th minute, and Liverpool would have felt safe with a point after Mohamed Salah's equaliser, as they entered stoppage time at 1-1, before Wolves snatched a late win through midfielder Andre in the 94th minute.

Slot's disappointment was clear after the game.

He said: "How do I sum this up? Same old story.

"My expectations have changed throughout the season because I expected more from us and what we are fighting for now. But it's another setback and we didn't help ourselves with this result, not at all.

"That [dropping points] is a concern because it is not the first time we have dropped points against teams that are in these positions.

"But we are not the first team to drop points here, last week it was [Aston] Villa, the week before Arsenal. So they are having a good momentum."

Indeed, Liverpool could have got themselves level on points with Villa in fourth with a win, but suffered the same fate as the Villans did in their last game, losing to essentially already relegated Wolves.

Reds legend Steven Gerrard feels it's time to give a chance to talented youngster Rio Ngumoha, who's proven he's worthy of a start.

Gerrard said on TNT Sports: “For 65 minutes, Liverpool were desperate tonight, really poor.

"They didn’t create enough, they didn’t play at the right speed or the right tempo. They didn’t have enough quality.

“He [Slot] has to start Ngumoha now. He has to start him because he’s coming on and he’s doing more in a short cameo, in a short space of time, than Gakpo is doing in 65, 70 minutes.

“He deserves a start now. He’s got to start the kid on Friday night.”

Friday is an opportunity for Liverpool to exact revenge, as they play Wolves for the second game on the spin, this time in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

The Reds' recent history in the competition is mixed, having failed to even reach this round in three of the last five editions, while they lifted the trophy in 2021-22.