Arne Slot compared his Liverpool squad to other top Premier League teams after his heavily weakened side lost 3-0 to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.

The Dutchman fielded the kids along with some of his senior backup players as an Ismaila Sarr brace and a late Yeremy Pino dumped them out of the Carabao Cup and condemned them to a sixth defeat in seven games.

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Slothas been criticised for his decision to rest the star players who have slumped this season to put them in crisis and for his apparent view that giving them a break is more important than winning a game of football.

He said ahead of the game that he wants to “create a pathway” for the young Reds stars and stuck to his guns when again asked about his team and squad selection following the defeat.

“This club has always used this competition for academy players as well,” he said. “It felt to me the right decision and I’ve not changed my opinion of that because we lost.

“I’ve seen the struggles some players have had in pre-season. It’s a new challenge to play in the Premier League and Champions League, three games in seven days.

“Our squad is probably not as big as people think it is. There has not been a change in the way we look at this.”

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Slot then compared the strength in depth of his squad to Manchester City and Chelsea’s, both of whom made widespread changes to their starting XIs but beat Swansea and Wolves respectively.

He added: “I saw Manchester City’s starting eleven and they didn’t have one starter from the weekend, but it felt like their best team. That is a bit of an insight. Chelsea can bring Estevao in. After I made two substitutions tonight, we had six teenagers.”

BBC Sport reported at the end of the game that there is “no chance” of Slot being sacked, insisting that his job is not even under consideration by the Reds bosses.

A report reads: “Liverpool is a calm club internally, not given to hasty, panicky decisions, certainly not when it involves a manager who won the Premier League last season.

“Liverpool’s owners are measured. They saw Slot win the title in his first season and I am sure there will be an acceptance and understanding that there has also been a lot of change in the summer.”