Liverpool coach Arne Slot appeared in a press statement following the 4-1 victory over Newcastle in the 24th round of the English Premier League, at Anfield.

The coach said: "In the first half hour, Newcastle got many corners, free kicks, and throw-ins, and we defended them excellently."

He added: "Another positive aspect of this match is that it became completely clear where our problems lie this season, which are set pieces. Therefore, our good defense against them, and after half an hour, the fans helped us and raised the players' performance level. After 15 minutes, we led 2-1, and after the Bournemouth match, I said we need to be better in both penalty areas, scoring ten goals and conceding just one is an improvement, but we need to maintain this level consistently."

He continued: "There is a lot of noise around the club, but today the fans showed what the noise means to them, through their enthusiastic cheering in the stadium and their support for the team. It was a good week, but given our results at the start of the season, we still have a lot to do to achieve good results and maintain this momentum."

About Ekitike's performance, he said: "I can confidently say that the fans adore him, as fans always love players who score a lot of goals. What I like about Hugo and Florian [Wirtz] now is their focus on their goals and creating opportunities. Football should be like this because it's a great game to watch, especially when they score goals, but their performance rate has improved significantly, as a result, we have become more capable of controlling matches." As a result, they are in better positions."

Regarding the Ekitike-Wirtz partnership: "Hugo Ekitike has been scoring a lot of goals since the start of the season, and Florian has been significantly contributing to creating opportunities for his teammates, but unfortunately, the balls didn't always go in. It wasn't always possible to involve them together every three days, and this is what I mean when I talk about playing without the ball and match fitness, meaning the ability to play every three days. It took some time for them to reach their best level at the highest intensity every three days. They are getting closer and closer, and it's not surprising that their numbers are rising."

He concluded about Konate's goal: "He went through a very tough two weeks. Last weekend, he told me he would return this weekend, but when he saw the problems we were having defensively, he called me and said he would return for this match because he wants to help the team. This says a lot about him, and that's why I really liked the fans' appreciation for him during the match when he scored a goal, and of course, it was more than the players' appreciation for having him there to help today."