Arne Slot said he cannot be distracted by Liverpool’s upcoming clashes with Real Madrid and Manchester City as the injury-hit Premier League leaders visit Southampton on Sunday. Slot has made a superb start to his tenure in charge of the Reds, winning 15 of his first 17 games in all competitions.
This has put Liverpool five points clear of City at the top of the Premier League and at the summit of the new-format Champions League.
“It would be a bit strange if I told you I don’t like being in the position we’re in right now, but we also understand that we’ve only been able to play 11 (league) games so there are a lot of games to play,” Slot said in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
A trip to bottom-of-the-table Southampton appears to be the ideal appetite booster for two big clashes, as Madrid visit Anfield on Wednesday, followed by a clash with City on December 1.
But Slot is wary of the threat posed by the Saints, who have often dominated possession without reward on their return to the top-tier.
“We’ve had some really unbelievable starts, from Southampton,” Slot said.
“It’s not going to be easy, even if everyone thinks it is (because they are) bottom of the league. (Southampton) don’t play like that at all and they have made it difficult for teams that are in the top three out of four.
“Their playing style is very interesting, their games are a joy to watch.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold could be back in time to face Madrid but is unlikely to return from a hamstring injury this weekend, while Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota are out.
Liverpool’s title rivals got a major boost this week as Pep Guardiola extended his contract as Manchester City boss until 2027.
Slott is a confessed admirer of the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach, who has led City to six Premier League titles in the past seven seasons.
“It’s good news for City first of all, and also good news for the league because I think everyone wants the best manager and the best players here,” said Slott “City on the other hand have so many quality players that if they decided to leave the club I would never expect them to be bottom of the league next season.”
