As Arne Slot walked down the tunnel at Old Trafford following Liverpool's 3–2 defeat, supporters positioned near the touchline recorded him holding up six fingers. The footage circulated quickly, with many interpreting the gesture as a reference to Liverpool's six European Cup titles.
The gesture and the reaction
The clip shows Slot raising his hand with six fingers extended as he leaves the pitch. Supporters online linked that directly to Liverpool's European Cup wins in 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005 and 2019, a total that remains the highest among British clubs and stands in contrast to Manchester United's three European titles, comprising the 1968 European Cup and two Champions League victories. Others questioned whether the gesture carried any intent at all, suggesting it could have been incidental or unrelated to the context.
The responses on social media reflected a clear split in how the gesture was interpreted, with some supporters treating it as a pointed reference to Liverpool's European record while others dismissed it as either irrelevant or coincidental. One user wrote: “Arne Slot telling Manchester United fans how many Champions Leagues Liverpool have won,” while another responded: “How many has Slot won?” A third suggested an alternative interpretation, adding: “Are you sure it’s that or is it not just him saying where Liverpool are going to finish this season?” Slot has not been involved in any of those European victories, having taken charge at Liverpool in the summer of 2024, although he did win the Premier League in his first season.
How the match unfolded
Manchester United took control of the match early. Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko scored within the opening 14 minutes to establish a 2–0 lead. Sesko's goal went through a VAR review that lasted around three minutes, with officials checking for a possible handball before the ball crossed the line. The goal was allowed to stand. Liverpool responded to bring the score back to 2–2, but Kobbie Mainoo scored the winning goal later in the match to secure a 3–2 result and confirm United's place in next season's Champions League.
With three games remaining, Manchester United are third and sit six points ahead of Liverpool, a gap that confirms Liverpool will not secure a Champions League place for the 2026–27 season following the 3–2 defeat at Old Trafford, with Liverpool fourth in the table and 26 points behind their total at the same stage last season.
Decisions and post-match reaction
Speaking after the match, Arne Slot focused his comments on the VAR review that allowed Benjamin Sesko's goal to stand, returning to that decision in detail as he explained his frustration with how the game had been officiated. “If it was a touch, which I think it is because if you know a bit about ball sports, you know that if a ball has a certain curve and the curve changes, there must have been a contact,” he said. “But if it's light then we should have a debate in football about whether that's enough to disallow a goal. But the rule is if there was a touch then it should have been disallowed.” He continued: “I don't think it's a surprise to anyone this season that if there's a VAR intervention or if there's something that could be left or could be right (50-50) then the decision goes against us.”
Slot also referred to previous incidents. “I remember Paris Saint-Germain at home, getting a penalty for a soft touch on Mac Allister but of course the VAR intervenes and says no, no, no, this is not a penalty. Then one week later when I see Paris Saint-Germain play against Bayern Munich and get that same soft touch but the penalty stays.” “I saw last week my goalkeeper on the floor with an injury and the referee doesn't stop the game,” he added. “I see a player of United off the pitch today and the referee stops the game when we try to play on. That has been our whole season.”
Virgil van Dijk spoke after the match about how Liverpool's season has unfolded. “I'm not here to make excuses,” he said. “It's been a very disappointing season, an unacceptable season, and it's tough. We shouldn't feel sorry for ourselves whatsoever.”
