Liverpool manager Arne Slot has urged his team to stop making a habit of losing winnable matches after six defeats in their last seven games plunged the Premier League champions into crisis.

The Reds, who have lost four straight league fixtures, face Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday following their midweek League Cup exit to Crystal Palace.

Slot came under fire for fielding a youthful lineup in the 3-0 loss to Palace but defended his decision, citing a congested schedule and mounting injury concerns.

Alisson Becker, Alexander Isak, and Jeremie Frimpong remain sidelined, while Ryan Gravenberch has only just returned to training after an ankle injury. With crucial fixtures against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday and Manchester City next Sunday, Slot said rotation was necessary.

“It’s not about squad depth — it’s about injuries and availability,” Slot explained during Friday’s pre-match press conference. “We still have enough quality players to compete, but I have to protect some of them. That’s why I made those choices.”

Five matches into the season, Aston Villa trailed Liverpool by 12 points. Now, both sides are level on points, separated only by goal difference, with Unai Emery’s side in fine form while Liverpool’s slump continues.

Slot pointed to Villa’s resurgence as an example of how quickly fortunes can change in a highly competitive Premier League.

“Apart from Arsenal, many teams are very close in points — that shows how tough this league is,” he said. “Normally, you don’t lose games where you’ve created more chances than your opponent, but we’ve done that too often lately.

“Villa stopped making a habit of it — now we must do the same.”