Tag: Arne Slot

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said Friday that winning the Premier League title at Anfield was one of the best days of his life as he turned his thoughts towards next season.

The Reds crushed Tottenham 5-1 on Sunday to seal a record-breaking 20th English league title with four games to spare, basking in a sensational atmosphere at their packed home ground.

“Maybe for all the Liverpool fans, but for many of them, one of the best days of their lives, and I think it was the same for me,” said Slot.

“The way the whole day went, arriving at the stadium, how intense the fans already were, then during the game going 1-0 behind, so it even felt like, ‘Oh, they’re not going to give it to us, we have to work for it’.

“Scoring the goals, seeing how much it meant to the players but also to the fans, for me, was really special to be part of.”

Liverpool travel to face fifth-placed Chelsea on Sunday before taking on Arsenal, Brighton and Crystal Palace in their remaining games.

“It’s nice that we play some very strong teams with Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton and Palace, so that gives immediate challenge to those games,” said Slot, 46.

“It’s the end of the season but we also have to look at this as the start of next season already.”

The Dutchman said he was surprised by the 22-point between his side and Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea, whom he felt were the better team when they met in October, even though Liverpool won 2-1.

“We found a way to win, and that is a quality that we didn’t need a lot, because mostly we were the better team on the pitch,” he said.

“But in that game we had to suffer more than any other game, maybe. So to be so many points ahead of them is a big compliment for everyone here at this club.”

The former Feyenoord boss said he would rotate in the final games of the season.

“Some of them deserve to play already earlier this season because they’ve trained so well,” he said. “They are good enough to play for this club but I mainly chose the same players.

“And I think this is also a moment to see where they are, also looking towards next season maybe a bit already. But definitely also because they deserve to play this season.”

Slot said Liverpool’s Premier League triumph would be a boost in terms of recruitment.

“Winning the league, having these fans, I think this is a big attraction to every player we want to bring in, and that’s definitely helpful,” he said.

Captain Virgil van Dijk and top-scorer Mohamed Salah have recently signed new contracts to stay at the Liverpool but Slot said there was no update on Trent Alexander-Arnold, who continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool can win the first trophy of the Arne Slot era in Sunday’s League Cup final against a Newcastle side desperate to end the club’s 56-year wait for major silverware.

In the first final of the English domestic season, runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool head to Wembley aiming to erase the bitter taste of their Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

The Reds were beaten 4-1 on penalties by PSG in the last 16 second leg at Anfield.

It was a rare blow in what has been a successful first season in charge for Slot, who arrived from Feyenoord to succeed Jurgen Klopp last year.

Sitting 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, the Reds are within touching distance of a record-equalling 20th English title and their first since 2020.

That will be the culmination of Slot’s seamless transition to life with Liverpool.

But first the Dutchman has his sights set on putting yet another League Cup in the Anfield trophy cabinet.

Liverpool, who beat Chelsea in last season’s final, have won the League Cup a record 10 times and are looking to lift the trophy for a third time in four years.

“You play games like this to win it, and that’s what we’re going to try to do,” said Slot, who will be without injured right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

“We’re really looking forward to it because you cannot take a final for granted, especially not in this country with so many good teams.”

Slot, who will be making his first ever visit to Wembley, hopes Liverpool can recover quickly from having their treble bid shattered by PSG.

“It’s a great occasion to be in and especially after losing against Paris Saint-Germain. It’s maybe the perfect game,” he said.

– ‘Chance to make history’ –

Aside from a brief period when Kevin Keegan’s team challenged for the title in the 1990s, Newcastle have endured decades of underachievement and self-inflicted wounds that rendered them a laughing stock for long periods.

All that changed in 2021 when a Saudi-backed consortium completed a takeover from unpopular owner Mike Ashley and quickly made the decision to hire Eddie Howe as their manager.

Newcastle have been transformed from relegation candidates to contenders for silverware, with a Champions League appearance in 2023-24 underlining their revival.

However, Newcastle are still waiting to win their first major trophy since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup — the predecessor to the Europa League.

The Magpies’ last significant domestic prize was the 1955 FA Cup and they have lost a combined five finals in that competition and the League Cup since then.

They have never won the League Cup, most recently losing the 2023 final against Manchester United.

Since the Magpies lifted the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, 30 different English teams have won silverware, while Liverpool have clinched 38 major trophies in that time, including an FA Cup final success against Newcastle in the clubs’ last showpiece meeting in 1974.

With the weight of history against them, Howe has urged his players to embrace the chance to become Newcastle legends by ending their trophy drought.

“We want to break that wait for a trophy. It’s not a negative, he said.

“We’re trying to look at it the other way round, it’s the chance to make history and be remembered positively.”

Liverpool eased to a 2-0 win in their most recent Premier League clash with Newcastle in February.

And the Magpies’ task is made even harder by the absence of suspended England forward Anthony Gordon and injured defenders Lewis Hall, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles.

But Howe is confident Newcastle will not freeze in front of a sell-out crowd and a television audience of millions around the world.

“We’ve stayed competitive, in the main, in big games,” he said. “Our style, we have adaptability, but also we have a clear method.”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot called his side’s Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday the “best game” he has been involved in, but conceded the Premier League leaders ran out of luck in a penalty shootout.

PSG had dominated the first leg a week ago but arrived at Anfield 1-0 down after Harvey Elliott’s late winner snatched victory for the Reds at the Parc des Princes.

The roles were reversed on Tuesday as Slot was left to bemoan Liverpool’s finishing either side of Ousmane Dembele’s 12th-minute opener.

PSG then prevailed 4-1 on penalties after Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones saw their spot-kicks saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

“It was the best game of football I have ever been involved in. It was an incredible performance, especially if you compare it with last week,” said Slot.

“It had everything you wanted from a game. From a Liverpool perspective, we could have at least wanted a draw after 90 minutes.

“We were creating chances and then we were 1-0 down. We ran out of luck after last week.”

Liverpool topped the table in the new-look Champions League group phase after winning their opening seven games.

Slot, though, questioned whether the new format rewards finishing top after being paired with one of Europe’s form sides in the last 16.

“We go out in a way that we impressed Europe, but it is something to take into consideration how much it is worth to finish first in the league table if you face PSG in the next round,” added the Dutchman.

“Of course it is a shock (to go out). I can say last season we weren’t involved in the Champions League, two seasons ago we went out against Madrid losing 5-2 at home.

“If you have to go out, go out like we did against one of the best teams in Europe, making such a fight of it.”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot says he “can’t accept” striker Darwin Nunez’s work-rate in his past two games.

The Uruguay international was a second-half substitute in the win over Wolves on 16 February and the draw at Aston Villa on 19 February, when he missed an open goal.

Nunez did not come off the bench in Sunday’s 2-0 win at Manchester City, which took Liverpool 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Slot defended Nunez after his miss against Villa but said he allowed his “disappointment” to impact his work-rate.

“I helped him by saying you can miss a chance,” Slot said in his news conference before Wednesday’s visit of Newcastle.

“I wasn’t only hard on him. But for the second time in a row I wasn’t happy with his work effort, against Wolves and against Villa.

“I can’t accept if a player doesn’t give everything. That is clear. I can accept it once, but twice was a bit too much. That’s why I addressed it.

“If you miss a chance, you need to be fighting for the team. I’m not saying he didn’t do that at all, but it wasn’t the usual Darwin, the one that is loved by the fans. That is mainly because he always works so hard.”

Slot said Nunez, who has scored six goals in 35 games in all competitions for Liverpool this season, was “incredible” in training on Monday.

Arne Slot says Mohamed Salah will have a “far better chance” of winning the Ballon d’Or if runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool win silverware this season.

The Egyptian superstar, 32, is favourite to win the award, regarded as the top individual prize in football, after a sensational campaign so far.

Salah, who is yet to sign a new deal to keep him at Anfield beyond the end of this season, has scored 30 goals and provided 21 assists in all competitions during the current campaign.

But Liverpool manager Slot said Tuesday that despite those stellar numbers, the club need to win major trophies to help their forward win his first Ballon d’Or.

“It’s a good thing that Mo is in the discussion because it means he does well and it means we are doing well,” the Dutchman said on Tuesday.

“But for him to stay in that discussion, he should bring in the same performances as he’s done for seven or eight months now.

“And I think, in general, someone that wins the Ballon d’Or needs to win something as well, so it’s a great challenge that is in front of us, but also in front of him.”

Liverpool, who host Newcastle on Wednesday, are 11 points clear of second-placed Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with 11 games to go but Slot said he does not fear complacency.

“We all know these players are so long in this competition, even much longer than me, so they know how difficult every single game is, and if you have to play 11, it’s still a long way to go,” he said.

Liverpool are also in the final of the League Cup, where they will face Newcastle again, and will meet Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Slot was asked at his pre-match press conference whether Salah’s current form could be compared with that of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at their peak but he shied away from direct comparisons.

“He (Salah) has had some outstanding seasons here at Liverpool, and we hope he can continue this for a longer period of time, but to do that he first has to extend his contract of course,” he said.

The Liverpool boss was also asked whether Salah’s red-hot form would make it easier or more difficult for the club to agree a new deal.

“You can look at it in both ways,” he said. “You can say the better he does, the more expensive he might become, and if he would do really worse, we would have second thoughts if we wanted to extend his contract.

“So I think for everyone it’s the best that he brings in the performances he does now. Maybe only for the one that has to pay him it’s not the best, but for everyone else it’s the best.”

Frustrated Liverpool boss Arne Slot believes the Premier League leaders dropped two points with their 2-2 draw at Aston Villa, but how does the result impact the title race?

Trent Alexander-Arnold rescued the Reds with a 61st-minute leveller on Wednesday for a result that moves them eight points clear of second-placed Arsenal.

But for the first time during the run-in, Slot’s side have played a game more than their north London counterparts, who may sense an opportunity to narrow the deficit, especially with Liverpool going to Manchester City on Sunday and the Gunners hosting West Ham the day before.

Darwin Nunez missed a glorious chance to snatch the points in the second half, blazing over an empty goal from a few yards, although Villa could also have won it when Donyell Malen shot wide in the final seconds.

“The only reason why we could be happy with the 2-2 was they got the last chance of the game, maybe their third after scoring two,” said Slot. “That could be the only reason where we could say a point is good to take.

“For everything else, I’m not happy with 2-2. I wasn’t happy at all being 2-1 down at half-time, it didn’t reflect the first half at all.”

With 12 games remaining for Liverpool in the title race, how likely are they to be caught? And who has the toughest run-in?

Liverpool may have only managed a draw on Wednesday, but Slot’s side have now gone 22 consecutive Premier League games without defeat, winning 15 of those.

It is the first time they have been able to put together such a streak since their 44-match unbeaten run between January 2019 and February 2020, when they went on to win a first Premier League title.

Despite the draw, data analysts Opta still predict Liverpool to finish top on 87 points, six clear of Arsenal, using their projection algorithm.

Their chance of winning the title has dropped slightly, however, from 87.65% to 84.79%, while Arsenal’s has risen from 12.35% to 15.13%.

No other team is given a more than 1% chance by Opta of being champions.

It has proved a testing run for the league leaders, who conceded a last-gasp equaliser against Everton in an emotional Merseyside derby draw at Goodison Park last Wednesday, scraped a hard-fought 2-1 win over Wolves at Anfield on Sunday and then had to come from behind for the point at Villa.

Yet Slot denied his team are suffering a dip in form.

They go to Manchester City knowing Arsenal will close the gap to five points if they beat West Ham at the Emirates on Saturday.

“I don’t feel like that at all,” added Slot. “If you go away at Villa it is always a difficult fixture. Performance-wise, not a dip at all today in my opinion.

“What we must not do, and a bit too often now, we don’t get what we deserve. If you put all the chances in a row from us and them it’s clear which team should have won this game.

“We must not make a habit out of that as it’s happened a bit too much now but we are eight points clear with Arsenal having a game in hand.”

What are Liverpool’s remaining fixtures?

Liverpool’s recent form: WWDWD

It is a hectic few weeks for Liverpool, with the Reds having league games pretty much every three days until the end of the month.

But things ease considerably in March, when they play just one league game – a home fixture against bottom club Southampton.

Liverpool have the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle on 16 March, while Arsenal play Chelsea at home in the Premier League on the same date – at which point both clubs will have nine games left.

On either 4 or 5 March, Liverpool will also have the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, when they will travel to either Paris St-Germain or Benfica. The return leg at Anfield will take place a week later.

Liverpool host Arsenal on 10 May, but finish the season with a home game against Crystal Palace – by which point they would hope to have settled the title outcome.

Liverpool’s final 12 Premier League games:

23 February: Man City (A)

26 February: Newcastle (H)

8 March: Southampton (H)

2 April: Everton (H)

5 April: Fulham (A)

12 April: West Ham (H)

19 April: Leicester (A)

26 April: Tottenham (H)

3 May: Chelsea (A)

10 May: Arsenal (H)

18 May: Brighton (A)

25 May: Crystal Palace (H)

What are Arsenal’s remaining fixtures?

Arsenal’s recent form: WDWWW

Arsenal are currently unbeaten in 15 league matches (W10 D5) – their longest run without defeat under Mikel Arteta.

They have now played one fewer Premier League games than Liverpool, but face Chelsea on 16 March to catch up, while the Reds are in the Carabao Cup final.

Gunners fans will be hoping their side are still in the title race when they go to Anfield on 10 May because getting a result in that game would set them up for a home fixture against Newcastle and then an away trip to Southampton on the final day, by which point the Saints could be relegated.

Arsenal’s final 13 Premier League games:

22 February: West Ham (H)

26 February: Nottingham Forest (A)

9 March: Man Utd (A)

16 March: Chelsea (H)

1 April: Fulham (H)

5 April: Everton (A)

12 April: Brentford (H)

19 April: Ipswich (A)

26 April: Crystal Palace (H)

3 May: Bournemouth (H)

10 May: Liverpool (A)

18 May: Newcastle (H)

25 May: Southampton (A)

Who has the easier run-in?

Liverpool are on the road again on Sunday when they travel to reigning champions Manchester City, before Newcastle come to Anfield next Wednesday.

“Every team has to play every team twice and this week is Villa away and City away,” Slot told BBC Sport after the draw at Villa Park.

“These players are used to this and are used to playing for trophies.”

Arsenal, meanwhile, face six sides in the top half of the table in their final 13 games.