Arne Slot insisted that Liverpool was not complacent when he blamed the fault of the first half mistakes for their 3-2 defeat against Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.
Liverpool had taken the lead by Alexis Mac Allister in Craven Cottage, but defensive errors score Fulham three goals in 14 first half minutes.
Ryan Sessegnon benefited from a loose block, while Andy Robertson Alex Iwobi gave a chance that led to the second goal before Rodrigo Muniz Virgil van Dijk changed to put Fulham on line.
The Reds got hope through the 72nd minute strike from Luis Diaz, but could not find an equalizer, so they were 11 points in second place in second place with seven more games.
The defeat, only Liverpool's second of the season in the competition, ended a 26-game undefeated series, while since April last year they suffered their first top loss on the road.
It was also the first time that they admitted three goals in the competition in the first half of a match after opening the score.
Slot deposited that Liverpool passed a bad first half, instead aimed at the positives of their much improved performance after the break.
“It wasn't a 45 -minute disaster, but the mistakes we made were something we were not used to,” Slot told Sky Sports.
“There is no reason for us to be complacent. We are not number one at the moment because we win every match with three or four goals.
“It takes us so much hard work to win the games, and everyone can see that. We are fully aware of the fact that we have to compete for seven more games.
'We demonstrated Wednesday [against Everton]That was a good call and today it was. We were then on the right side of that and the wrong side today.
“Unfortunately we eventually missed time to score a third. People want to make stories, what their task is. Many teams find it difficult to play Fulham. The performance of the second half was excellent. We had opportunities, but in the end we missed time.”
This was Fulham's first Premier League victory at the team at the top of the rankings since March 2009, when they defeated Manchester United, while it also marked their first back-to-back home victories in the top flight since March last year.
The cottagers dominated the first half, with nine attempts with five on goal, where Liverpool was unable to tackle their ruthless pressure.
Marco Silva was happy with Fulham's response to losing their last two games in all competitions, and noticed how important this victory was for their European hope this season.
“I cannot judge this higher than some of the other great results we have had,” Silva told Sky Sports.
“Maybe it looks a bit bigger because Liverpool has not lost anyway and we know what will happen to them this season.
“It was a great season for this club, but at some important moments we have not been to our best, like last Saturday [against Crystal Palace].
“It was a great reaction. Losing after two defeats is difficult, but then to respond and to score three goals in the first 45 minutes – and to show the resilience in the second half, what a way to bounce back.”
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