Arne Slot identified the “only good thing” about his Liverpool side being beaten 4-0 by Manchester City just days before a Champions League meeting with holders Paris Saint-Germain.

The first game in a pivotal 10-day spell for Liverpooland manager Slot went down like a lead balloon. The defending Premier League champions have had no hope in the top flight for months, but found themselves in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and Champions League, with both legs of the latter following the trip to Manchester City in the former.

Reaching the semi-finals and a shot at the final in the FA Cup would have been a sign that things haven’t gone completely backwards under the under pressure boss, so the result against City has done little to allay that pressure.

City put four goals past Liverpool in a comfortable 4-0 victory, issues compounded by the fact Mohamed Salah missed a penalty for the Reds.

Slot felt there was one good thing about the scoreline in the loss.

He told TNT Sports: “It’s very disappointing to be out [of the FA Cup], not only in the manner but also the result and the score. Another big disappointment for us.”

“What has been missing for large parts of the season, converting our chances into goals. I think it was an even game up until they scored the penalty and the last time we played here we conceded just before half-time and again today.

“We get a penalty and we get a chance but that doesn’t tell me anything. The first 35 minutes was the sort of team I would like to see but the 20 minutes after that, we have to defend so, so much better than we were doing today.

“Not nice to go in at 2-0 just before half-time, not helpful for your mood especially after the season we have had. That was really hard to take. The only good thing was that we didn’t concede more.”

He feels a heavier loss ahead of the Champions League tie with holders PSG would have been a huge knock to his side’s confidence.

“If you want to have a good game on Wednesday, a 4-0 loss is already not helpful but an even bigger loss would be a bigger problem for us to go there,” Slot said.

“I tried to get us back into the game, to make it 4-1 or 4-2 but make sure that it stays at four and that was the main thing I thought about.

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“Very big and very important because it is not every season that you play in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

“We are really looking forward to that, playing against a very good side again. We want to qualify for the Champions League next season because there is plenty for us to play for.

“We have had a lot of setbacks and disappointments but that is also part of being a football player and being a human being and you have to stand there when things are not so positive and that’s what it is about now.

“Players that have shown so much quality in the past now have a fantastic chance to show that again against PSG.”

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