Gary Neville 'annoyed' with Liverpool player as Arne Slot shares his thoughts

Gary Neville has criticised Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate for his lack of urgency on the ball during the Reds' late 2-1 defeat to Chelsea - and Arne Slot appeared to agree with the Sky Sports pundit's criticism. However, Slot added that this was not the reason for substituting the defender off during the second half. The reigning Premier League champions were on course for a draw until a last-gasp 96th-minute goal from Estevao Willian saw them walk away from Stamford Bridge empty-handed.

However, Liverpool's problems started long before Chelsea's dramatic late winner. The Reds found themselves trailing within the first 14 minutes due to a stunning strike from Moises Caicedo and went into half-time 1-0 down. Slot made a single change at the break, bringing on Florian Wirtz for Conor Bradley, before making two further substitutions just 10 minutes into the second half. One of these changes saw Konate replaced by Curtis Jones, which resulted in Ryan Gravenberch filling in as an emergency centre-back.

Neville felt that Slot was addressing Liverpool's struggles with building play from the back as they sought an equaliser against Chelsea. He accused Konate of lacking urgency, with the former Manchester United player saying as co-commentator: "If you watch Konate on the ball at the start of the second half, he is just walking with it.

"It's frustrating me and annoying me to be honest with you. It's obviously annoying Slot as well because he has decided he is going to get somebody who is better on the ball at the back.

"That is strange from Konate. No idea what he was trying to do, you could see it coming as well as he stepped in. You thought, 'Where is his option, where is his pass?'"

Yet Slot revealed that his decision to take Konate off was actually due to a knock. He clarified: "I don't know if it's a big injury, but I do know that he limped. And I asked him, and he said, 'I feel my quad a little bit.'

"But for me all alarm bells go off because in another sprint then you never know if that is going to go good, so it was already a substitution I had in mind for maybe a little bit later, because the right centre-back has a lot of ball possession, and we all know that Ryan is good in there.

"So it might be okay and he went off early enough, but it was clear that I had to take him off because he was limping."

Slot's tactical alterations had an almost immediate effect and Liverpool discovered their tempo and established a stronghold in the match. Cody Gakpo equalised just seven minutes after the double substitution, and his effort looked set to earn a point for the visitors, who had also thrown away a draw at Crystal Palace the weekend before.

Yet, just like at Selhurst Park, Liverpool fell apart late on. Slot reacted: "Last season we lost against Chelsea as well. Stamford Bridge is always difficult. We were very close to a result. Small margins. As I said at Galatasaray, we had a one-v-one then they get a penalty. We concede in extra, extra time against Palace. And then today they score a goal that could go at either end.

"After we scored 1-1 it went our way and I think I was waiting for us to score the second. Decision-making could've been better, last 10-15 minutes was end-to-end.

"We arrived in their 18-yard box with [Andy] Robertson, we couldn't control the ball but again it's fine margins like it's been for as long as I've been here. Last week, same as this week two difficult away games, the fine margins haven't been in our favour."

Liverpool head into the international break sat second in the Premier League table, trailing new leaders Arsenal by a single point. The Reds' next fixture after the break sees them welcome bitter rivals Manchester United to Anfield on Sunday, October 19.