Arne Slot has said he should have acted differently in the aftermath of a stormy Merseyside derby which led to him being given a red card by referee Michael Oliver.
Slot confronted the official at full-time after seeing Everton score an equaliser in the eighth minute of injury-time which also prompted a melee at the final whistle which saw Liverpool’s Curtis Jones, Abdoulaye Doucoure of Everton and Slot’s assistant Sipke Hulshoff also sent off.
The Liverpool boss is awaiting to hear the punishment once The FA have deliberated on Oliver’s report.
Slot, who wasn’t allowed to speak to the media after the match on Wednesday, was contrite as he spoke ahead of Sunday’s game against Wolves.
‘The emotions got the better of me,’ he admitted about his post-match exchange with the referee.
‘If I could it differently, I would love to. I would hope to do it differently next time.
‘There were many things that happened in extra-time that led me to being emotional but there is a process now which I have to respect so I won’t go into details (into what was said).
‘There was a VAR check and then five minutes of extra-time ended up as eight minutes, a lot of things happened that led me to be emotional but it wouldn’t be smart to go into every incident.’
Slot also said he would probably speak to Jones who received a second yellow card by squaring up to Doucoure after the Everton player celebrated his side’s late draw in front of the Liverpool support.
‘I liked a lot he (Jones) stood up for his team and the fans but there are other ways to do that,’ said Slot.
‘Maybe I will talk with him about that. It is the same for me. I should have acted differently but it is an emotional sport.
‘Individuals out of emotion make the wrong decision and that is definitely what I did.’
The point earned by Liverpool at Goodison has left them seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.
They have 14 games remaining this season, now the same as second-placed Arsenal.
Expert lip-reader Jeremy Freeman, meanwhile, has lifted the lid on what exactly Slot told Oliver both before and after being dismissed at Goodison Park. In one clip, Slot could be seen approaching referee Oliver after the full-time whistle. As he walked up to the official, the Dutchman said: ‘Great game’.
They proceeded to shake hands, with Slot seemingly pulling Oliver in his direction before the official quickly brandished a red card from his pocket.
It’s been revealed that a bemused Slot then responded: ‘Sure, you give me a red for that? I will check it out for later. Me and you ya?’
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also remonstrated with the official and – seemingly confirming that the red card was related to a ‘pull’ in the handshake – said: ‘Hey, Michael, that was not a pull. Michael, it isn’t personal’.
The Premier League have now deleted a statement suggesting Slot will be handed a two-match touchline ban, referencing his alleged ‘offensive, insulting, or abusive language’.
Yet Mail Sport understands that the red for Slot was not solely shown because of the handshake, but also as a result of comments made by the Liverpool boss on two separate occasions after the match.
Our expert lip-reader then analysed another clip from the post-match antics which showed Van Dijk attempting to defuse the situation.
The Liverpool defender told his team-mates ‘Go, hey go…go in’ before then telling Oliver again that it was ‘nothing personal’. In that same clip, Liverpool boss Slot could be seen asking Oliver: ‘We’ll talk after?’
Trent Alexander-Arnold should be fit for Sunday’s game after making a successful return after injury off the bench against Everton but Jones is banned for one game and Cody Gakpo is being assessed with an injury.
Slot was happy with his side’s spirit in a boisterous atmosphere which accompanied the last Merseyside derby at Goodison.
‘The players showed a different side, in my opinion much better than a year before (when Liverpool were beaten 2-0 in the same fixture).
‘They were mentally so strong in the most difficult circumstances. To stay strong tother and fight so hard gives me a lot of confidence for the remaining games.’
As he spoke on Friday morning, Slot was eligible to take his normal place in the dug-out against Wolves though that could change once The FA decide his punishment.
