🏟️🚨Gary Neville Spotted Liverpool Star ‘Annoying’ Arne Slot With His Actions vs Chelsea

Gary Neville has taken aim at one Liverpool player, insisting he must have “annoyed” manager Arne Slot during the Premier League champions’ 2-1 loss to Chelsea on Sunday night. The defeat marked Liverpool’s third straight loss for the first time since Jurgen Klopp’s departure last summer, following previous setbacks against Crystal Palace and Galatasaray in the same week.

Chelsea got off to a flying start when Moises Caicedo fired home a stunning goal inside the opening 15 minutes. Although Cody Gakpo’s strike midway through the second half briefly levelled the score, Enzo Maresca’s men sealed all three points deep into stoppage time as Brazilian prodigy Estevao arrived at the far post to tap in the decisive goal.

At the moment, Liverpool are struggling to find rhythm. Despite spending over £400 million during the summer transfer window, the major squad overhaul involving 15 player changes has resulted in growing pains. Yet it was one of Liverpool’s long-serving stars who became the main target of Neville’s criticism — proving that even the most experienced players aren’t exempt from scrutiny during a rough spell.

Neville Says Ibrahima Konate Must Have “Annoyed” Arne Slot

Commentating on the match, Neville pointed out Ibrahima Konate’s slow and casual approach on the ball as a clear reason why Arne Slot may have been frustrated with him. The French defender’s lack of urgency appeared to irritate the former Manchester United man.

“If you watch Konate on the ball at the start of the second half, he was just walking with it,” Neville said during his Sky Sports commentary, as reported by the Mirror. He added:

“It was frustrating and annoying me, to be honest. I think he was annoying Arne Slot as well, because he’s decided to bring on someone who’s better with the ball at the back but can’t defend as well. He’s going all in.”

Slot’s move to push Ryan Gravenberch into defence nearly worked, as Liverpool began building more confidently from the back. However, it ultimately wasn’t enough to stop another late collapse — the second time in consecutive Premier League games that they’ve conceded in stoppage time. Ironically, Liverpool had been the late winners themselves in all five of their opening league fixtures this season.

While some pundits suggested the change was tactical, that theory was challenged after fans noticed Konate heading straight down the tunnel while limping. Slot later clarified, “He felt his quad a bit. Then alarm bells go off with me. If the game had gone on like this, I would have made the change a bit later but did not want to take the risk.”

Even with the injury explanation, Konate’s performances this season have looked unfocused. With Real Madrid reportedly showing interest over the summer, some believe his mindset has shifted — and it’s shown in Liverpool’s defensive record, as they’ve conceded eleven more league goals than at this stage last year.

To make matters worse, Liverpool’s failure to land Marc Guehi on deadline day has started to sting, especially after Giovanni Leoni’s ACL injury deepened the tea

m’s defensive woes.