Slot Talk: “Everybody Wants to Play Their Best Game Against Liverpool”
Nobody expected Liverpool not just top of the league but nine-points clear heading into December. Now the Reds face a new challenge: playing as favourites.
It may just be a third of the way into the 2024-25 season, but with Liverpool nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table as well as top of the Champions League group phase table as the only club with a perfect record after five matchweeks, confidence and expectations have been raised.
Especially following back-to-back wins—and quite dominant wins at that—over Real Madrid in Europe and Manchester City in the league, previously only whispered title talk has all of a sudden got more than a little bit loud. For Liverpool, that’s a whole new challenge they will now have to deal with in the coming weeks.
“We don’t look at it like that,” was manager Arne Slot’s response when asked about his side’s position as unexpected frontrunners heading into the festive period. “We know we have a difficult week coming up again. Madrid and City were very difficult [but] I think it’s even harder away game to Newcastle.
“Everybody wants to play their best game against us—like against Arsenal or Man City. But the good thing is it’s not only us who play many games now. For example, when we face Everton they have a game this week as well. Mostly we face teams rested because we play Champions League and some others don’t.”
After Newcastle mid-week and Everton on the weekend—both on the road after a run that has seen Slot’s Reds play home more than away—Liverpool travel to Girona on the 10th before they play Fulham in the league, Southampton in the League Cup quarters, then Spurs, Leicester, and West Ham to end December.
“Many teams this month have many games because it’s England and we play a lot of games in this period,” Slot added. “The fact that six of the nine are away makes it more difficult but we’re ready for it.”
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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