Liverpool head coach Arne Slot saw his team leaked before their clash against Tottenham Hotspur, an issue previously investigated at Manchester United and Chelsea.
Social media posts revealed that Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike would be dropped for the Premier League fixture against Spurs at Anfield. It was also widely posted that Jeremie Frimpong, Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha would start. These posts were confirmed roughly an hour before kick-off.
Slot’s Changes Backfire Against Spurs
Slot’s changes backfired as Dominik Szoboszlai’s first-half free-kick was cancelled out by Richarlison’s 90th-minute equaliser, rescuing a point for Tottenham. The result has dealt a major blow to Liverpool’s top-four hopes, although they remain fifth, which is likely to secure Champions League football for next season.
Team Leaks Prompted Prior Investigations at Rivals
There will be concern on Merseyside that Slot’s team leaked. Manchester United have regularly encountered similar issues and launched an internal investigation to find out how Michael Carrick’s starting XI against Manchester City was revealed online before kick-off. Jose Mourinho also suffered with the problem at Old Trafford and publicly acknowledged it in a press conference before the 2018 FA Cup final. Ruben Amorim encountered similar issues before he was sacked in January.
Chelsea also faced similar problems. Blues head coach Liam Rosenior claimed he would “get to the bottom of it” after potential team leaks were revealed before their defeat at Paris Saint-Germain. The press got hold of Chelsea’s starting XI, and it was circulating by midday last Wednesday, eight hours before kick-off at the Parc des Princes. Chelsea went on to lose the first leg in Paris 5-2.
Slot Addresses Fan Frustration
Slot has not directly addressed the team leaks, but he admitted he does not blame Liverpool fans for venting their frustration after his team were booed off at Anfield on Sunday.
He said: “I think it’s understandable for fans to be frustrated because it has happened so many times that they have seen the home team not picking up the points they are expecting, us conceding goals in the last minute.
“Now it is up to us to bring that frustration to Wednesday and come up with a big performance because we are all frustrated.
“It is now up to me and the players to take that frustration to Wednesday evening and show the fans the performance and the result they deserve because they have been supportive throughout the whole s