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Arne Slot can't hide frustration as Liverpool boss makes 'important' Anfield crowd claim

-Credit: (Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
-Credit: (Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)


Arne Slot hailed Anfield's role in Liverpool's hard-fought 2-1 win over Chelsea - but was unable to hide his frustration at the performance of referee John Brooks.

Goals from Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones, either side of Nicolas Jackson's equaliser, helped the Reds move back to the top of the Premier League after Manchester City had temporarily earned top spot after a last-gasp win at Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in the day.

The atmosphere at Anfield - which now holds 61,000 after the expansion of the Anfield Road end last year - has been a tedious debate in recent seasons and was brought into sharp focus after the 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last month.

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But Slot believes the performance of Liverpool's 12th man was key to Sunday's triumph, even if he did little to influence referee Brooks and his decision-making.

"They were really important for us," said Slot. "I don't know if this is something they say in England but they said it at my former club, which was also an impressive stadium, the referees are a bit impressed by the crowd and that's why you get the easy decisions in your favour.

"But today showed that no matter how loud the fans were, the referee just wanted to show that he was able not to make the decisions he had to make. So it didn't help us with the referee, but it definitely helped our players because they had to work so hard.

"And every time they cheer so hard for if you make a block tackle, or Darwin [Nunez] sprints back, or any of these moments, that definitely helps you mentally.

"So they were really important for us, for our players, but unfortunately it didn't happen in the way people think Anfield gives you the easy penalties."

The Liverpool head coach was also frustrated by the amount of extra time added on at the end of the second half as the Reds sought to protect their 2-1 lead.

"People in Holland know how frustrated I get about the amount of extra time added on to a game and there was no time delay from us at all today," added Slot.

"And the last time we lost a game [Nottingham Forest], for the last 45 minutes, it was time delay, time delay, time delay, time delay, and he added on six minutes.

"And, of course, maybe seven minutes was true because of a few minutes but apart from the decisions that happened, the extra time is a bit of a frustration."