Joe Gomez has admitted Liverpool only have themselves to blame after another damaging result in the race for Champions League football.
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The 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa means our final home game against Brentford now carries pressure, instead of being purely about saying goodbye to Mo Salah and Andy Robertson.
After a season full of defensive mistakes and missed chances, the 28-year-old’s assessment felt painfully accurate.
Joe Gomez reacts to Liverpool defeat
Speaking on The Official Liverpool FC Podcast after the game, Gomez admitted Liverpool let a major chance slip away at Villa Park.
The defender said: “We cost ourselves a big opportunity today and we know that sums up our year, with it being in our hands and errors that are avoidable at pivotal points in the game where we could have got momentum.”
The England international added: “At the end of the day, it’s still in our hands. We know that the goal remains the same. We just have to do the job next weekend.”
That is the frustration because Liverpool briefly looked capable of turning the game after Virgil van Dijk’s equaliser.
Rio Ngumoha then hit the post, but Dominik Szoboszlai’s slip helped Ollie Watkins restore Villa’s lead and from that point, Arne Slot’s side looked far too fragile again.
Liverpool need Brentford response
Gomez also admitted Liverpool’s lapses in concentration were costly, saying: “It felt that we had control and it’s just frustrating because lapses in concentration are something that’s highlighted.”
He then added: “We can’t sit here and feel sorry for ourselves, we just have to do the job. We know what we have to do next weekend and we have to beat Brentford at home.”
That has to be the mentality now, even if supporters are understandably worried after seeing us concede 52 Premier League goals this season.
John Aldridge has already said he was “flabbergasted” by how easy Liverpool have made it for opponents, while Robertson admitted the Villa display was “a long way short of the levels of this club.”
Gomez is right that it remains in our hands, but Liverpool have made this far harder than it ever needed to be.
You can’t keep on saying the same thing while the mistakes and poor performances keep happening.
It’s been there last season , continued into pre season, the community shield , and all this season in every competition.
Some supporters on here want to take a year off from, Liverpool, a sabbatical, watching football, it’s gone that bad . So frustrated with slot.
I wish it were that easy for me , a lifelong Liverpool supporter. I can’t. You breath, eat , sleep Liverpool football club.
Shankly once said , some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I can assure you it’s much more important than that. We all know that life more important than anything. But
Shankly captured the all consuming passion that
defines what it means to be a Liverpool fan.
Without passion Liverpool football club is just a normal football club.
Allow a new coach to take over, then, as to avoid Man U’s mistakes with Ten Hag. Slot cannot go beyond his tactical wisdom that we have seen this season; otherwise it shall be the same story next season if it’s not going to be too late. The decision that he should continue baffles me