Arne Slot On “Exciting” Challenge of Facing Manchester City and PSG
Liverpool’s 2025-26 has fallen about as short of expectation as possible, with the defending Premier League champions investing heavily in last summer’s transfer window only to bomb straight out of the title race while playing arguably their worst football since Fenway Sports Group took over more than a decade ago.
The season’s not over yet, though, and despite their generally poor results and often worse performances they remain in the hunt for two trophies as they’re still in the FA Cup and Champions League. Meanwhile, a finish in the top five that would ensure re-qualification for Europe’s premier cup competition remains possible.
Given a difficult run-in in the league and that they face Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter finals and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter finals the smart money wouldn’t be on them actually achieving any of that, but while there’s still games to play there’s hope—and chances to talk optimistically.
“This is what we worked for throughout the season, to be involved in games like this,” head coach Arne Slot said of facing City and PSG next. “We probably play the toughest opponents you can face as well in the FA Cup as in the Champions League, but you always know in the quarter-finals that these are teams you can face.
“It’s exciting for us. I think it’s also for them to play Liverpool. As we know, we played Paris Saint-Germain last season in the Round of 16, now in the quarter-finals, and both of these games were a joy to watch. We’re really looking forward to it. We’ve shown so many times this season that we can be a very good team.
“Unfortunately, we’ve also shown this season a few times we look vulnerable, and now we have to get the best out of ourselves this season. But that’s what we need definitely again in the upcoming weeks to do what we want to do and that is to continue our run in both cups and qualify for the Champions League next season.”
As we kick off the month of April, it’s probably fair to say we know what this Liverpool side is and is capable of—and it’s not greatness. We have enough data, not just going back to the start of the season but to the start of 2025, a 15+ month stretch that has seen Liverpool under Slot consistently trending in the wrong direction.
Yet all Liverpool fans can also remember back to the autumn of 2024 when Slot was being cast as the new Bob Paisley to Jürgen Klopp’s Bill Shankly. The man to not just continue the success for the Reds but to just maybe take them even higher. And while there are still games left to be played, well, maybe there is hope.
Because you never do know for sure. We know what these players are capable of. This is a league winning side bolstered by a slew of big signings. This is a side most tipped to be in the title fight. So maybe City on Saturday and then PSG on Wednesday will be the moment it all clicks back into gear. No pressure, lads.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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