Arne Slot Defends Youth Selection After Liverpool’s Carabao Cup Exit to Palace.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is still living a nightmare after yet another defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup. 

His team selection against Palace has surprised a lot of football fans after he decided to go in with youngsters instead of including his  key players.

With a 3-0 defeat against Crystal Palace, Liverpool has gone on 5 games without defeating Palace. 

After the game the Dutchman came out to the post-match press conference and said that “this club has always used this competition for youngsters.”

What he thinks is that he made the right decision and he does not regret giving the young players the opportunity they deserve. 

"At this club we use this competition for our younger players"

Arne Slot discusses his Liverpool team selection to face Crystal Palace 🔴🔊 pic.twitter.com/vtSGfh5ipI

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) October 29, 2025

In the game he named three young players in his starting lineup, and also in substitutions he made five changes, which were all young players. 

With these kinds of changes, Arne Slot made 10 changes to his team that faced Crystal Palace.

This defeat against Crystal Palace at home in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup means that the Dutchman has lost six of his last seven games for Liverpool in all competitions.

He is now down to a more difficult schedule that includes Aston Villa, Real Madrid in the Champions League, and Manchester City.

From what the Dutchman said in his post-match press conference, it seems that he is resting his players for these 3 tough games ahead of him.

Crystal Palace had a bright start to the game after Ismaïla Sarr scored two unanswered goals in the first half. In the second half, Amara Nallo, an 18-year-old Liverpool youngster, was sent off after receiving a red card, which practically shut down Liverpool’s hope of fighting back to overturn the scoreline.

Yeremi Piano scored a late winner to give Crystal Palace a 3-0 win at Anfield.

Arne Slot, after another disappointing defeat, said again in his post-match conference that Liverpool are now struggling to play every 3 days, but he does not see that as an excuse.

He also said that his squad is not as big as many people think, and it is going to be difficult for football fans to understand him now, as they are in a difficult moment.

Oliver Glasner’s men deserve all the accolades despite Liverpool not coming with key players.

Crystal Palace did the needful to win and eliminate Liverpool from the Carabao Cup, and that is all that is important.

Their win against the Reds has increased their tally of how dominant they have become lately against them.

In five matches, they have won 3 of them and drawn 2 times in all competitions against Liverpool.

Although Liverpool fielded some young talents, Glasner’s men came into the game focused and determined to win.

The Eagles boss feels his men deserve it, as the decision to field youngsters was solely Arne Slot’s decision.

For Slot, his eyes are set on the next three games as he hopes to get positive results in those matches to turn things around and keep his job.

Two (2) defeats out of the three matches would put him in great danger of losing his job. 

Slot feels that, losing five (5) games out of six (6), with this current defeat against the Eagles, he is always under pressure.

He also asserted that his lineup was also affected by injuries and that he’s hoping to have a fully fit squad for their matches before the international break.