Szoboszlai Warns Liverpool To Wake Up After Tottenham Draw

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Liverpool dropped more vital Premier League points as Tottenham snatched a 1-1 draw with a stoppage-time equaliser at Anfield, increasing pressure on Arne Slot and Dominik Szoboszlai. The late setback denied Liverpool a return to the top four and extended a worrying pattern of conceding in the final minutes during this campaign.

Slot admitted the home side let control slip after leading for so long against a struggling Tottenham side. Liverpool had appeared on course for victory before Richarlison converted from close range in the final seconds, cancelling out Szoboszlai’s early free-kick and leaving the Anfield crowd stunned at full-time.

Szoboszlai’s opener continued a strong personal run from dead balls in the Premier League. The midfielder has now scored four direct free-kick goals this season, the most by a Liverpool player in a single league campaign. Across the competition’s history, only David Beckham in 2000-01 and Laurent Robert in 2001-02 have managed more, with five each.

"That is a huge disappointment, he told Sky Sports.I don't know what happened. I have nothing to say. In the last minute, again, I don't know how many times this season already. We have to wake up. I feel flat. We have to wake up because if we carry on like this, we should be happy with the Conference League. I don't know why this is happening, I honestly don't know. I think in the firsthalf, we played very well, we controlled the whole game, and they hardly created chances apart from one or two headers. In the second half, we just didn't do the same things. We will sit down together, and this is the most difficult time, but we have to stick together."

The late Tottenham goal highlighted Liverpool’s recurring issue with closing out Premier League matches. Liverpool have conceded eight league goals in the 90th minute or later this season, their highest total in a single campaign. The team have also allowed seven points to slip from winning positions at Anfield, matching their 2016-17 figure.

Those lapses meant Liverpool stayed outside the top four, leaving their Champions League hopes under threat. Szoboszlai suggested that, without clear improvement, Liverpool might even have to settle for the Europa Conference League next season, underlining the scale of frustration within the squad after another win slipped away.

"I didn't hear the boos, but we can understand them, he added.We are not performing how we should. They should stand behind us because, last season, we became champions four games before the end. Everybody was happy. Support us in a difficult time. There is still time to show how much we want it; we have to stick together and fight for the club."

Slot also shared Szoboszlai’s disappointment while stressing how chances were missed before Tottenham’s late equaliser. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to score more than one goal, he said.I think the most equal part of the game was the last part when both teams had their chances. Most of the chances they had came from similar situations as their goal did. Of course, a home game, being up for so many minutesofcourse,two points dropped." The head coach did, however, highlight Szoboszlai’s quality from set pieces.

"Great goal. It's nice to score a goal like that, Slot added. We had many better chances than that one, but if Dominik is behind the ball, it becomes a big chance as we have seen again today." With the Premier League run-in tightening, Liverpool now face the challenge of fixing late-game concentration while keeping support united at Anfield.