Liverpool suffered a 3-2 defeat at Manchester United over the weekend, a result that prompted a pointed response from their head coach, who directed much of his frustration at the officials. The Guardian's Andy Hunter reports that Arne Slot took particular exception to the decision to allow United's second goal to stand, arguing that contact from Benjamin Sesko had altered the flight of the ball. "The curve on the ball changed so there must have been a contact," Slot said, before adding that VAR interventions have consistently gone against his side throughout the season.
PGMO issued a statement confirming there was no conclusive evidence that Sesko handled the ball before scoring, and the Guardian's account suggests Slot's grievance does not withstand close scrutiny. United's movement in the first half pulled Liverpool apart with regularity, and the visitors offered next to nothing in attack during that period. The absence of several key forwards — Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were all unavailable through injury — left Liverpool with severely limited options going forward. Two early second-half errors gave them a foothold in the match, briefly making it competitive, but the damage had long since been done.
The weekend produced a range of notable results elsewhere. Arsenal recorded a 3-0 victory over Fulham, with the Guardian noting that Mikel Arteta's tactical choices carried a degree of risk that ultimately paid off. Newcastle beat Brighton 3-1, Aston Villa were beaten at home by Tottenham, and Leeds continued their return to the top flight by defeating Burnley 3-1.
Perhaps the most affecting storyline of the weekend came at Brentford, where Josh Dasilva scored in a 3-0 win against West Ham in what the Guardian describes as an emotional return. The circumstances surrounding that return were not detailed in the wire, though the result itself extended a positive run of form for the west London club.
Liverpool's defeat will sharpen focus on how Slot manages the remainder of the season without a number of his attacking options. Blaming officialdom after a performance that was, by most accounts, well below the standard required at Old Trafford risks obscuring the more pressing structural questions. Whether the head coach's public frustration serves as useful motivation or unwanted distraction ahead of their next fixture remains to be seen.