Liverpool break unwanted set-piece record as Arne Slot bemoans Benjamin Sesko handball decision - 'The curve changes... there must have been contact'

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Liverpool suffered an 11th Premier League defeat of the season as Manchester United rallied following a second-half setback to win 3-2 at Old Trafford on Sunday - and it was a result which set a new unwanted milestone for the Merseysiders.

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The outgoing Premier League champions have been a shadow of their former selves this term, with Arne Slot's side 18 points off leaders Arsenal with three games remaining.

It is the first time The Reds have lost as many league games since under Brendan Rodgers in 2014/15.

A trophyless campaign will at least likely end in qualification for the UEFA Champions League next season - but the manner in which the visitors struggled to deal with United's physicality at Old Trafford underlined a problem which has plagued them ever since last summer.

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Just six minutes into the match, Alexis Mac Allister's failed attempt to clear Bryan Mbeumo's corner landed at the feet of Matheus Cunha - and with his follow-up effort, the Brazilian found the bottom right corner of Freddie Woodman's goal.

In doing so, Liverpool conceded their 17th goal from a set-piece situation - their worst record in the Premier League era for a single season.

This new mark comes somewhat as a surprise given their aerial threat posed in the other penalty area, as shown in the recent 2-1 victory at Everton when Virgil van Dijk scored the winner in stoppage-time from a corner.

Slot refused to make any changes at half-time as his side successfully wiped out a two-goal deficit, largely down to United's own making after individual errors from Amad Diallo and Senne Lammens - but it was another lapse in concentration from Mac Allister that allowed Kobbie Mainoo to snatch the winner.

Slot: This is complete pattern of whole season

Slot accepted the first-half showing left his players with a mountain to climb, but the Dutchman was dubious about the decision to allow Benjamin Sesko's goal to stand after 14 minutes.

Referee Darren England and VAR Stuart Attwell were in lengthy discussion over whether Woodman's parry brushed the hand of Sesko as the ball ricocheted into the net - but the final decision was that there was to stick with the original on-field decision.

Later, the Premier League Match Centre announced on X: "The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed there was no conclusive evidence that Sesko handled the ball before scoring."

It was not a point of view shared by Slot as he spoke to reporters following the defeat.

Slot said: "I think it was a touch, because if you know a bit about a ball sport, you know that if a ball has a certain curve and the curve changes, there must have been contact – but it’s always light.

"Then we should have a debate in football, is that then enough to disallow a goal? But I think the rule is if there was a touch it should have been disallowed. But I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone this season that if there is a VAR intervention, or if there is something that you could look at or could be left, could be right, then that decision goes against us.

Benjamin Sesko's goal was allowed to stand despite a potential handball

Image credit: Getty Images

"That has been the whole season. Every single time [it’s] the same. If I remember Paris Saint-Germain at home, getting a penalty for a soft touch on [Alexis] Mac Allister but of course the VAR interferes and says no, no, this is not a penalty.

"One week later when I see Paris Saint-Germain playing against Bayern Munich, that same soft touch, the penalty stays. I saw last week my goalkeeper on the floor with an injury and the referee doesn’t stop the game.

"I see a player of United off the pitch today and the ref stops the game when we try to play on. That has been our whole season.

"But the second goal we did not concede because of the handball, we conceded it because we lost the ball in a stupid position and we lost a few big moments afterwards in duels. We have to first look at ourselves, let that be completely clear and obvious.

Sesko and Bruno Fernandes celebrate during Man Utd's fast start

Image credit: Getty Images

"Decisions have gone every single game against us, that’s also completely clear and obvious because when we played United in the first game of the season I had one of my players with five stitches on the floor and the referee didn’t stop the game and we conceded.

"This is a complete pattern over the whole season, but there’s also a pattern that we concede ridiculous goals when we are the better team and one or two [are] switching off and then we concede a goal.

"That we have more influence on, so I should focus much more on that than on these referee decisions that go against us. But it’s clear that the whole season is the same."

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