Arne Slot Angered by Liverpool’s Late Collapse Against Wolves, Says Virgil van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk has revealed that head coach Arne Slot was furious in the dressing room following Liverpool F.C.’s 2–1 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in the Premier League on March 3.

The loss, sealed by a deflected 94th-minute winner from André at Molineux, marked another damaging setback in Liverpool’s campaign. Van Dijk acknowledged that the team’s performance fell well below expectations and admitted the manager’s anger was justified.

“He was angry, and rightly so,” the Liverpool captain said after the match. “We didn’t play well enough. There was a bit more urgency in the second half, but overall it simply wasn’t good enough. It’s disappointing for us and for the supporters.”

Liverpool, currently fifth in the table, are locked in a tight race for qualification to the UEFA Champions League. Van Dijk conceded that the margin for error is now minimal as the season enters a decisive phase.

“The stakes are very high,” he said. “At a club like Liverpool, Champions League football is always the expectation. It’s up to us, together with our fans, to secure the results required. Now is the time to respond.”

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The visitors struggled for fluency throughout much of the contest. Van Dijk admitted the team deserved to fall behind when Rodrigo Gomes opened the scoring for Wolves, criticizing Liverpool’s slow and predictable play in possession.

“We were too slow and made poor decisions on the ball,” he explained. “Defensively we were solid for large parts, but when the game opened up late on, it became chaotic.”

Although Mohamed Salah ended his goal drought by drawing Liverpool level, the match grew increasingly stretched in the closing minutes. Van Dijk suggested the team may have forced the issue in search of a winner, leaving themselves exposed.

“Perhaps we pushed too hard for the winning goal,” he said. “In the final moments it felt like a basketball game—end to end and lacking control.”

Liverpool have an immediate opportunity to respond when they return to Molineux for an upcoming FA Cup fixture. Van Dijk stressed the need for a markedly improved performance, emphasizing that the squad must quickly learn from the setback to keep their season on track.