5 talking points as Liverpool cup gamble backfires to compound Arne Slot misery
LIVERPOOL 0-3 CRYSTAL PALACE: Ismaila Sarr struck twice towards the end of the first half to ensure last season’s beaten Carabao Cup finalists exit this year’s competition early
Liverpool suffered yet another defeat under Arne Slot as the Reds boss’ youthful line-up exited the Carabao Cup. Three teenagers started in a much-changed Reds side and they had no answer to Ismaila Sarr’s first-half brace for Crystal Palace.
Slot’s side went into the game having lost their last four Premier League matches, but the starting XI was unrecognisable from the ones we have seen in recent weeks. Milos Kerkez was the only player to keep his starting spot after Saturday’s defeat at Brentford, with three teenagers starting for the hosts at Anfield.
After a quiet opening 15 minutes, it was one of those teenagers who reminded Palace the rotated Reds still offered plenty of threat. He ran dangerously at Eagles right-back Daniel Munoz before curling an effort towards the far corner, but it didn’t have enough whip to trouble goalkeeper Walter Benitez.
Federico Chiesa was the next to get a decent sight of goal, reacting sharply to a speculative ball through the middle but firing wildly over the top of Benitez’s crossbar. He had another effort well stopped by the Argentine keeper, but ultimately it was Palace who broke the deadlock when Ismaila Sarr took advantage of some weak defending to lash the ball into the bottom corner of Freddie Woodman’s net.
One became two before the break, and it was Sarr on target again. Liverpool’s bench was packed with inexperienced youngsters, leaving Slot with few options to change the game as he looked to keep senior stars fresh for a testing upcoming run..
READ MORE: Who is Kieran Morrison? Liverpool wonderkid handed debut by Arne Slot in Carabao Cup clashREAD MORE: Arne Slot warned he made two ‘strange’ Liverpool mistakes – ‘Shouldn’t be saying that’
Slot did turn to his bench, handing out further debuts, but there was no way back as Palace saw the game out and ended the game a man up after Amara Nallo’s red card. Palace took full advantage of the extra man, with Yeremy Pino scoring a fine late third. Here are Mirror Football‘s talking points from Anfield.
1. Sarr strikes again
A return of three goals in four Palace outings against Liverpool was already okay, but by half-time at Anfield Ismaila Sarr’s record had improved to five in five. The Senegal forward helped stop the Reds’ long unbeaten 2019/20 run while at Watford, scoring twice in a 3-0 Hornets win, and he’s thrived against them with his current club.
After bagging in the league and the Community Shield, the former Marseille man got on the scoresheet in a third competition in the space of just three months. His first was pure instinct, swinging first time and finding the corner, while his second was the finish of a confident player after some tidy link-up play.
When the scorer made way just after the hour, many in the home camp will have breathed a sigh of relief. While some teams have nightmares about Mohamed Salah, Liverpool have them about Ismaila Sarr.
2. Reds set unwanted record
You have to go all the way back to 1953 to find the last time Liverpool lost five straight games in domestic competitions. While the much-changed team provides a caveat in this case, as does the big win in Frankfurt a week ago, that doesn’t change the fact that recent form has been a concern.
Arne Slot shouldn’t lose any credit from last season’s title win, even as some might be attempting some revisionism. The bigger concern comes from the fact that he wasn’t required to deal with this kind of downturn in form last term and questions remain over whether he has the nous to do so.
Next up for Slot’s team is Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday. What they’d give for a repeat of last season’s 2-0 win.
3. A mixed bag from the kids
Liverpool’s youthful bench was complemented by a youthful starting XI. There were a few senior players on the pitch, but Kieran Morrison made his debut down the right and fellow teenagers Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha also started.
Ngumoha certainly looked the sharpest of the three, causing problems for the Palace defence and looking every bit ready for top level football. All three were a bit subdued after Palace opened up a two-goal lead, though – not that the more experienced players were that much better.
Amara Nallo, Kaide Gordon and Wellity Lucky were introduced from the bench 25 minutes from time as the hosts’ team got even younger, with Andy Robertson and Alexis Mac Allister joining Morrison in leaving the field.
4. Woodman blameless on surprise debut
Morrison wasn’t the only debutant, with Freddie Woodman also enjoying a first start. The goalkeeper didn’t have a great deal to do in the first half, but impressed with his distribution moments after making a comfortable stop to deny Will Hughes.
Woodman, 28, was a curious pick-up for the Reds over the summer. He had racked up more than 100 Championship appearances for Preston over the previous three seasons, but fans largely considered him a homegrown backup behind Alisson and Giorgi Mamardashvili – albeit a younger model than some of the keepers who have taken on that role elsewhere.
There wasn’t a great deal the keeper could do with either goal, with experienced heads Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo perhaps entitled to feel they could have done better. It remains to be seen whether we see Woodman in Liverpool action again this season, though.
5. Bright sparks from
Federico Chiesa’s goal in last season’s Carabao Cup final wasn’t enough to rescue the game, but the Italian has demonstrated this is a competition he enjoyed. He set up both Reds goals in the third round victory over Southampton and was backed by Slot to lead the line against Palace.
Given the strength and composure of Palace’s centre-backs, it might have looked a curious choice. However, Chiesa gave as good as he got pysically in the first half and got opportunities as a result.
The former Juventus man was a lot quieter in the second half, though, and maybe this shouldn’t come as too big a surprise. The third round tie marked just the third time he completed a full 90 in English football, and he wasn’t the only Liverpool player to fade badly after the break.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
