Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, has dismissed any perception that the team’s potential Premier League title win has been an effortless journey, arguing that the current competition in England’s top division is tougher than ever.
Slot stands on the cusp of making history as the first Dutch manager and one of only a dozen coaches to secure English football’s most coveted trophy. Liverpool requires merely a single point against Tottenham on Sunday to equal the record of 20 top-flight titles.
Liverpool boasts a commanding 12-point lead ahead of Arsenal, which has faltered this season with 13 draws. They are also 18 points clear of Manchester City in third, a team that has dominated the league with four consecutive titles but has faced challenges in the form of injuries and mental exhaustion this season.
At his pre-match press briefing, when asked if this season’s Premier League was experiencing a dip in strength, Slot highlighted the close competition for the five coveted Champions League qualification spots, noting a mere four-point difference between Manchester City and the seventh-placed Aston Villa.
“I believe it’s never been more thrilling concerning the race for a top-four, or indeed a top-five finish,” Slot stated. “Previously, it was generally predictable which teams would occupy the top three or four places. But reaching the top four or five in the Premier League has now become an arduous task.”
“In my experience, this league is exceptionally challenging,” he continued. “There’s never an easy game. Winning has consistently demanded significant effort, which perhaps reflects something about us.”
Liverpool has secured victory in 24 of their 33 matches this season, demonstrating more control in games under Slot’s leadership compared to the tenure of his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp. Notably, only five of their wins have seen a margin greater than two goals.
“Other teams in this league find it just as hard to win by three or four-goal margins,” Slot remarked. “Such outcomes might have been easier several years ago.”
“Either it’s the case that the traditional top teams like Liverpool, City, and Arsenal aren’t performing as strongly, or perhaps we remain robust while other teams are able to spend as much, or sometimes even more, than these giants,” he speculated.
Slot expressed the weight of the occasion as his team has the opportunity to clinch the title before dedicated Liverpool supporters. Reflecting on 2020, when Liverpool last lifted the trophy, the Dutchman recalled that fans were unable to witness their triumph live due to pandemic restrictions after second-place City’s defeat secured the title.
“We’re cognizant of the fact that when we last won the league, it was during the Covid era,” Slot noted. “Sunday is eagerly anticipated, yet we remain aware that our task is not complete. Just one point is needed.”