Liverpool manager Arne Slot said on Friday that the club would never use their grief over the death of forward Diogo Jota “as an excuse” for recent poor results, as he attempts to reverse a troubling run of five defeats in six Premier League matches.
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Jota, a father of three, died in a car crash in Spain in July alongside his brother, Andre Silva. Liverpool have since retired his No. 20 shirt in tribute. The champions opened the season with seven consecutive wins across competitions but have slipped eight points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal amid their dramatic downturn.
Defender Andy Robertson admitted this week that he could not get Jota “out of my head” ahead of Scotland’s World Cup qualifying decider against Denmark, which they won.
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s home game against Nottingham Forest, Slot was asked whether his side were being judged fairly given the emotional weight of Jota’s death.
“I think we are always judged, sometimes fair, sometimes unfair,” Slot said. “I saw the interview with Robertson and I know it is an issue for us — which is completely normal. But at moments like this, I think about his wife and children, because that is so much harder for them than it is for us. That we miss the player and the person is completely clear.”
Slot said it was impossible to measure the impact of Jota’s death on performances.
“That’s impossible for me to say, and we will never use it as an excuse because that doesn’t feel right,” he added.
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker is available again after several weeks out, but Conor Bradley and Florian Wirtz will both miss the Forest match due to muscle injuries.
Liverpool currently sit eighth in the table, but Slot insists he is not thinking about the title race.
“It’s just about the next game,” he said. “The best way to judge a league table is after 38 games — the next best thing is after 19.”
