Emotions got the better of me, says Liverpool's Slot after derby red card

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said emotions got the better of him when he was asked what led to his sending off following Wednesday's chaotic finish to their 2-2 Premier League draw at Everton.

Referee Michael Oliver showed Slot a red card after the manager shook his hand, following James Tarkowski's stoppage-time equaliser for Everton at Goodison Park that left leaders Liverpool seven points ahead of second-placed Arsenal.

A heated scuffle had also broken out between the two teams following Tarkowski's goal that led to Everton's Abdoulaye Doucoure and Liverpool's Curtis Jones being sent off shortly before Slot's red card.

"The extra time that was five minutes and ended up being eight, happens a lot. And the emotions got the better of me," Slot told reporters on Friday. "If I look back at it, I would love to do it differently."

The manager refused to divulge if he had said something to the referee that led to the red card.

"That is (an) ongoing process now and I think I have to respect that, so I can't go into details," he said.

Everton are 15th in the table and edging clear of the relegation battle but Slot said the derby had felt like an even contest.

"A draw would have been, maybe, a fair result. But with us leading after 97 minutes, it felt as if we were quite close to winning the game, so it felt like we dropped two points," he added.

Liverpool, who are unbeaten in the league since September, will face a difficult fight to the finish line in the title race, Slot said ahead of hosting relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.

"The second half of the season is always more difficult than the first for many reasons. Some teams bring in new players, some teams are playing longer together," he said.

"Some teams bring