Liverpool head coach Arne Slot offered a candid assessment of his team’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, pinpointing Dan Burn’s opening goal as a pivotal moment in the match. The towering Newcastle defender’s powerful header just before halftime set the tone for the Magpies’ historic victory, ending a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy. Slot, in his post-match comments, praised Burn’s exceptional ability while explaining the tactical setup that allowed the goal to happen.
Newcastle took the lead in dramatic fashion when Burn, standing at 6ft 7in, rose above Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister to head home a pinpoint corner from Kieran Trippier. The goal, scored in first-half stoppage time, shifted momentum firmly in Newcastle’s favor, and Alexander Isak’s second-half strike sealed a 2-1 win despite a late consolation goal from Liverpool substitute Federico Chiesa. For Slot, the defeat marked a rare blemish in an otherwise stellar debut season at Anfield, and he was quick to address the scrutiny surrounding Burn’s goal.
“I’ve never in my life seen a player from that far away head a ball with so much force into the far corner,” Slot remarked during his post-match press conference. He explained that Liverpool’s defensive strategy at set pieces relies on a zonal marking system, with five players positioned close to the goal to deal with balls in the danger area, while three others, including Mac Allister, are tasked with man-marking opposition players. “We play zonal,” Slot said. “We always have five players zonally close to our goal, so if the ball falls there, it’s one of the five stronger players that are going to attack that ball. And we have three players that man-mark, and Macca [Mac Allister] is one of them.”
The decision to assign the 5ft 9in Mac Allister to mark the much taller Burn raised eyebrows among fans and pundits, particularly given Newcastle’s physical dominance throughout the match. However, Slot defended the approach, noting that it is designed to force opponents into less dangerous positions. “Normally a player like Dan Burn runs to the zone because, 99 out of 100 times, that will never lead to a goal from that distance,” he said. “But credit to him, I think he’s one of the few players who can score a goal from that distance with his head.”
Slot’s comments underscored his admiration for Burn’s rare ability to convert such an opportunity, while also highlighting the challenges Liverpool faced in adapting to Newcastle’s aerial strength. The Reds struggled to contain the Magpies’ physicality, with Newcastle winning 68% of the game’s aerial duels, a statistic Slot acknowledged as a decisive factor in the outcome. “If we played a game of football through the air against them 10 times, they win it probably nine times because they are a stronger team through the air than us,” he admitted.
Despite the defeat, Slot rejected suggestions that Newcastle’s victory stemmed from greater hunger or desire. “I don’t think there was more hunger for them,” he said. “The game went the way they wanted it to go, and they are stronger in that part of football than us, and that’s why they beat us.” He also dismissed fatigue as a factor, noting that the match lacked the intensity of running battles that might expose physical or mental exhaustion following Liverpool’s midweek Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain.
The loss leaves Liverpool with only the Premier League title to chase this season, though their 12-point lead with nine games remaining keeps them in pole position. For Slot, the focus now shifts to regrouping and ensuring his team learns from the Wembley setback. “It was a disappointing result, a disappointing performance,” he said. “But we have to look at how the game went and move forward.”