Home / Football / Champions League News Slot responds to Van Dijks giving up comments after Liverpools FA Cup exit Van Dijk suggested some Liverpool players gave up after going 3-0 down vs Man City Written by Cian Cheesbrough Last Update: April 7, 2026 08:09:40 pm BST 4 min read Liverpool boss Arne Slot has responded to Virgil van Dijks claims that some of his team-mates gave up during the closing stages of their 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester City on Saturday. The Reds were sent crashing out in embarassing style by Pep Guardiolas side at the Etihad, conceding all four goals during a 20-minute stretch either side of half time where some poor defending was on show.Pressure has now cranked up on Slot with the Champions League now the Reds only chance of silverware this season though they face a huge task against holders Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight.During his pre-match press conference for the first leg in Paris on Wednesday, Slot was asked about the impact his captains comments which suggested some of his team-mates gave up after going 3-0 down might have on the group.He said: Sometimes in a game you want to do things but you are not able to for various reasons but one of them is conceding goals when you play well and youre in the game. Usually the moments that hurt you are before and after half time. We went toe to toe with City but were 2-0 down. Then I saw at 3-0 we had a big chance for Mo but it was too open and players were struggling. At 4-0, City seemed to be OK with it but I didnt see players giving up but I feel it is good from the captain who has a strong reaction like that, so I hope we can be strong tomorrow.The first 35 minutes at Etihadnot the first setback we had or not played our best football for 10/15 minutes. The only four chances we gave away in the game by the way. The first 35 gives me confidence we can go toe to toe with a team like PSG, one of the best teams in open play because of their quality and the way they are managed.If we have the 20 minutes we had at City, we will again concede four goals. Its challenge for us from the first to the last, otherwise it will be a tough night. We deserved to lose 4-0 here [at PSG] last year but that is the beauty of football, we won and it was like: this was robbery.Table of Contents1 Slot on PSG game2 Slot on Isak availabilitySlot on PSG gameLiverpool have the chance to exact revenge on PSG after being knocked out by the French side last season and Slot challenged his players to slience some of the criticism theyve had this season.I think if you play a quarter-final, its always a special moment, you cannot take Champions League for granted, he said.PSG are doing very well, I dont like at where we are in the season, it is a challenge within itself. A nice one, nice to get a second chance. PSG and Man City are comparable because of the style of play they have. Its another chance to show we are not the team we were for 20 mins we prepare to forget at the Etihad.Slot on Isak availabilitySlot offered an update on the fitness of Alexander Isak after being named in their squad for the game in Paris, having recovered from three months out with a broken leg.The Dutch manager said [Hes had] close to a week of team sessions now so he can play a part otherwise I wouldnt take him. We had talks with the player, the staff, so we thought we couldnt get a performance out of him now, but not to start. Lets be clear. Topics: Liverpool F.C. Follow us: Cian Cheesbrough Cian is a sports journalist with experience writing for national titles, including LiveScore, MailOnline, Eurosport and Sky Sports.
He has covered a number of key events during his time in the industry, including from the press box at live Champions League fixtures. Read more from Cian Cheesbrough
