Liverpool crashed out of the UEFA Champions League at the round of 16 stage after being beaten by PSG on penalties.

The French side got their revenge after last week’s smash-and-grab win from Liverpool in Paris, with PSG this time around managing to beat Alisson Becker’s resolve and to best the Reds in a penalty shootout thanks to two saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma.

With Liverpool also losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to injury, it was a night to forget for the Anfield side and the first real setback for Arne Slot as manager of the Reds, with the Champions League a competition that many predicted the Merseyside giants would win this season.

Yet Stephen Warnock believes Slot made a big tactical error in last night’s loss to PSG that could have lead to the penalty shootout defeat.

Virgil van Dijk plays down effect of PSG heartbreak on Carabao Cup final	'PSG's arrogance really hit me and the players have made a big mistake before Liverpool'	‘Wasted’ – BBC pundit thinks Arne Slot got it wrong with one call in Liverpool’s defeat to PSG

READ MORE: Alan Shearer gives honest reaction to Diogo Jota’s lacklustre display for Liverpool against PSG

Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images

Speaking on BBC Sport’s coverage of the match, the pundit shared his concern about the substitutes Slot made for Liverpool against PSG, with Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones both brought on and eventually missing their penalties in the shootout.

With Cody Gakpo also coming on despite not looking 100% fit, Slot’s tactical decisions on the night were somewhat sloppy from the Dutch manager, who up until now had been spot on with his Liverpool changes as well as his substitutes.

Yet for Warnock, the former Feyenoord boss got it all wrong against PSG, and Liverpool could have perhaps prevented their elimination from the Champions League had they been more thoughtful with their substitutes on the night.

MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES

Warnock said on Liverpool’s substitutes: “Darwin Nunez didn’t have an effect on the game and Curtis Jones was poor when he came on.

Cody Gakpo didn’t look fit.

It looked like a wasted substitution from Liverpool.”

Some criticism can be pointed at Slot at the timing of his substitutes, with Gakpo and Harvey Elliott brought on way too late to make any sort of meaningful impact on the match, even if the former is only just returning from injury.

Yet with what Slot had available to him last night, the Dutch manager could not have done any more, especially with the Liverpool coach this season winning praise for the use of his substitutes throughout the season.

Indeed, all Liverpool can do now is focus on the next game, with the League Cup final against Newcastle United coming up followed by a victory run to the Premier League title with ten games left to go.


For more news relating to Newcastle United, visit our sister site NUFC Latest Live.