Arne Slot urges patience as Liverpool prepare for Tottenham clash
In recent weeks the Reds’ nine-point cushion at the top of the league has been cut to two
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has urged caution over assessing league positions too early in the season, stressing that the Premier League table becomes more meaningful after 19 games when every team has faced the same opponents.
The Dutchman’s comments come as the Reds prepare for a clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
“As I have said for the last three or four months, judge the table after 19 games because then everyone has played the same opponents,” said Slot in his pre-match press conference.
“Probably we had a bit of luck. For example, Arsenal had a lot of red cards at the beginning of the season, and that’s why they dropped points.
“We have now received a red card and dropped points. We now have Tottenham away, which Arsenal had at the beginning of the season, and Chelsea have already played there.”
In recent weeks the Reds’ nine-point cushion at the top of the table has been cut to just two, with Chelsea closing the gap thanks to five consecutive wins. Liverpool have drawn their last two league matches and saw the Merseyside derby against Everton postponed.
The pressure is now on the Reds to return to winning ways against Tottenham, a fixture with added narrative given Slot’s previous links to the London club.
Spurs were reportedly keen to appoint Slot in 2023, but he remained at Feyenoord before taking over at Anfield last summer. His decision has paid dividends for Liverpool, with the team winning 20 of 24 matches across all competitions under his leadership.
Depending on the outcome of Chelsea’s earlier fixture at Everton, Liverpool could find themselves starting the match in second place. However, Slot is not dwelling on hypothetical scenarios, maintaining that the focus should remain on the bigger picture.
“Don’t look at where you were in the season - it is about where you are at the end of the season,” he said.
Liverpool will head to North London with a well-rested squad after several key players were given a break during the midweek League Cup win at Southampton.
Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Luis Diaz, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominic Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah, and Andy Robertson - who was suspended for the Southampton game - are all expected to return.
Slot, too, will return to the touchline after watching from the stands at St Mary’s Stadium.