Slot warns Liverpool must tighten defence after Community Shield defeat

Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted his side must tighten up defensively if they are to retain the Premier League title after losing the Community Shield on penalties to Crystal Palace.

At Wembley, Liverpool’s £260 million summer rebuild showed promise in attack, with new signings Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong both on the scoresheet. Florian Wirtz, the club’s record signing, set up Ekitike for the opener inside four minutes. However, defensive lapses allowed Palace to equalise twice — Jean-Philippe Mateta from the spot and Ismaila Sarr 13 minutes from time — before winning the shootout after a 2-2 draw.

Slot noted that while Liverpool found it difficult to score against Palace last season, they created more chances in this match, but at the expense of defensive solidity — a recurring issue in pre-season, where they conceded four to AC Milan and two to Athletic Bilbao.

“Against a team so compact, we scored two today, but we conceded too much,” Slot said. “If you want to compete to win the league, you cannot concede these chances.”

Only Arsenal had a better defensive record than Liverpool last season, but Slot stressed the need to fix their backline ahead of Friday’s Premier League opener at home to Bournemouth.

Liverpool continue to be linked with Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, though Slot dismissed suggestions that their heavy summer spending adds extra pressure. “Because we are Liverpool, the pressure is always on,” he said.