Arne Slot is confident that Liverpool can gain a crucial edge over Arsenal in their next two matches, setting up Anfield to play a decisive role in the title race. The Premier League leaders have a challenging week ahead, with away fixtures against Aston Villa on Wednesday and Manchester City on Sunday. Victories in both games would see them establish a 10-point gap over Mikel Arteta’s side, a potentially significant step towards securing the title.
Arsenal managed four points from their visits to Villa Park and the Etihad Stadium, and Slot believes that matching or surpassing that tally will strengthen Liverpool’s position. Even if they fall short, the Dutchman remains optimistic, pointing to the advantage of having seven of the final 11 league matches at Anfield.
The Liverpool manager emphasized the importance of maintaining focus on winning games rather than getting caught up in long-term projections. “As a manager, you never think about how many points you will be ahead or behind after 25 games. You only think about winning as many matches as possible and implementing a playing style to achieve that. The fixture list plays a part, and you never know how other teams will perform,” he explained.
Slot acknowledged that Liverpool’s level of performance had dipped in recent league matches against Wolves and Everton. However, he attributed that to tactical factors and the emotional impact of James Tarkowski’s late equalizer in the Merseyside derby. Despite not being at their best, collecting four points from those games could still prove valuable in the title run-in.
When asked whether Liverpool were in a rough patch, Slot dismissed the notion, pointing out that they had dominated Tottenham only a short time ago. “Was it one and a half weeks ago that we completely outplayed Spurs? I don’t count Plymouth. The last two performances weren’t at the same level as West Ham away or Tottenham at home, but are we the team that won 4-0 against Spurs or the one that struggled against Everton? I think we are somewhere in between,” he said.
Reflecting on his experience of winning the league with Feyenoord, Slot stressed the importance of results over consistency in performances. “If you play 38 games, you don’t expect to be at your best in every single one. A special team plays 20-25 great games, has a few mediocre ones, and a few poor ones. What really matters is how you perform in those mediocre or bad games because the good ones you will probably win anyway,” he noted.
Looking ahead, Liverpool will be without Cody Gakpo again for the trip to Villa Park, as he continues to recover from injury. However, there is hope that he could return in time for Sunday’s clash against Manchester City.
