The Dutch coach directs the Reds’ attention away from the top clash
“Arne Slot” acknowledged that his Liverpool team has effectively exited the competition for the English Premier League title, confirming that the current goal is to secure a qualifying spot for the Champions League.
Liverpool, who won the title last season, are in fourth place in the standings, 14 points behind leaders Arsenal, ahead of their anticipated match today, Thursday, at the “Emirates” stadium.
In an interview with the “Sky Sports” network, “Slot” stated: “It never makes sense to declare the end of the title race, as things change in football. But at the moment, talking about the title should not be our priority.”
He added: “Our current position in the league makes competing for the title with Arsenal very difficult. Therefore, we are mainly focused on finishing the season in the top four or five to guarantee qualification for the Champions League. In addition, we are still competing in other tournaments such as the Champions League and the English FA Cup.”
He continued: “If unexpected surprises occur, and perhaps have not happened before, we will strive to take advantage of them. But I will not go to face Arsenal thinking about the title race, but rather I will focus on winning a football match against a very strong team.”
English Premier League
Arsenal 8 January 2026 21:00 Liverpool
When asked if the decline in performance was the reason behind Liverpool’s fluctuating season, “Slot” replied: “Yes and no, that’s an accurate analysis.” But he confirmed that this decline is sometimes due to the opponents’ style of play and their organization to nullify his team’s plans.
“In the last nine games, some may tell me – and I agree with them – that the Villa and Brighton matches were the most enjoyable. I invite those people to notice how Villa and Brighton played, and how the other teams played against us,” “Slot” explained.
He concluded his speech by saying: “I don’t want us to play in the same way that we played in some other matches, but perhaps this is the next step we must take; not to depend on the opponent’s style of play, and to be good enough to always apply our fast style, but we have not reached that stage yet.”
