Liverpool's Cup Collapse: Slot's Busy Schedule and a Squad in Flux
30 October 2025
Not even Liverpool\'s most optimistic fans could have imagined the team regressing so quickly under Dutch coach Arne Slot, who has gone from last season\'s hero to the prime suspect for disappointing results. The Reds surrendered their second trophy of the 2025-26 campaign after a 0-3 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup. Palace had already toppled Liverpool in the Community Shield on penalties following a 2-2 draw, and Liverpool also lost 1-2 to Palace in the Premier League in Week 6. Between defeats, Liverpool endured four straight league losses and recorded only one win in six across all competitions. If they lose to Aston Villa on Saturday, they would complete five consecutive league losses for the first time since 1953.
Slot Under Fire
The English media began calling for Slot\'s removal, citing not only a slide in results but also a failure to harmonize a squad packed with stars. He chose to field several reserves and academy players in the Cup clash, and that selection backfired on home soil.
In the match, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike were unavailable or rested. Three academy graduates started, and five more appeared from the bench as Slot made ten changes from the side that had beaten Brentford in the league last weekend.
Liverpool started with intent, but Ismaïla Sarr struck twice toward the end of the first half, and 18-year-old Amara Nallo picked up a red card in the second half, effectively ending any hope of a comeback.
An Adventure That Cost Him a Title
After the defeat Slot sought to justify his decision to rest key players, telling BBC that the club has always used this competition to give academy players opportunities and that the choice was correct, even if the result stung.
The schedule ahead is brutal: three big fixtures in the next ten days—Aston Villa in the league on Saturday, Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, and a trip to Manchester City on November 9. Slot indicated that he was prioritizing the league and Europe, paying a price in the cup as a consequence.
BBC pundit Steven Warnock suggested that if Liverpool beat Villa and Madrid and start to regain form, Slot would have a strong case; otherwise fans could grow restless. Slot argued that depth remains a challenge and that the team must cope with the demands of a busy calendar.
An Underwhelming Squad?
Liverpool\'s spending in the recent window reportedly surpassed half of what they invested under former manager Jürgen Klopp, who led the club for nine seasons. Estimates put this season\'s outlay at around €481m, while Klopp\'s era totalled roughly €960m.
New signings included Alexander Isak from Newcastle United (€144m), Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen (€125m), Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt (€95m), Milos Kirkić from Bournemouth (€46.9m), Giovanni Leoni from Parma (€31m), and Freddie Woodman from Preston on a free transfer, among others.
All of these joined a squad that has relied on stars like Salah, Van Dijk, Szoboszlai, and Jakkbo to win the title in previous seasons. Warnock cautioned that Slot\'s rhetoric hinted at a squad not as deep as some believe. Slot contended that balancing Premier League and European duties remains a challenge and that his broader plan will prove its merit over time.
Liverpool\'s leadership insists that the calendar is unforgiving, and the manager must be allowed to manage accordingly while supporters await a return to form and consistent results.
Punchline 1: Slot rotates the squad so often that even the calendar needs a day off just to keep track of the XI.
Punchline 2: If excuses were goals, Liverpool wouldn\'t be chasing them—they\'d already be lifting the trophy… in another universe where calendars make sense.
