Liverpool players know how tough title run-in is, says Arne Slot
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Liverpool manager Arne Slot will head into the match against Newcastle following a convincing 2-0 win over Manchester City.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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LONDON – Liverpool manager Arne Slot knows that every match now will be extra crucial as he seeks to win the English Premier League title in his first season in charge of the Reds.
His next task is a home clash with Newcastle United on Feb 26, also a prelude to the League Cup final in March.
Liverpool head into the match on the back of a 2-0 win over champions Manchester City over the weekend, with Mohamed Salah scoring his 25th league goal this season, hours after the Magpies beat Nottingham Forest 4-3.
Their victory – along with second-place Arsenal losing 1-0 to West Ham United – meant that they are 11 points clear of the Gunners, albeit having played a game more.
On not losing focus in the title race, Slot said: “I don’t think I need to even enforce that message.
“These players are so long in this competition, much longer than me, they know how tough the competition is.
“The players train for this, they are ready for this, and they have shown many times they can cope with many games.
“If you want to play at this club, you need to be at his (Salah) level, or you are almost useless to play at this club. We only need players at the top of their game, this is one of, if not the best club in the world to play for!”
Following a run of four games in which Liverpool struggled, a 1-0 FA Cup loss to Plymouth Argyle, two 2-2 draws with Everton and Aston Villa and a narrow 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Slot’s men showed what they were made of in their win over City.
The victory at the Etihad maintained their unbeaten away record in the league this season, while the Reds are also gradually becoming stronger at Anfield, since their shock loss to Forest in September.
They have avoided defeat in their last 17 home games in all competitions and scored at least twice in all of those matches.
Liverpool’s triumph over Wolves two weekends ago was their fifth consecutive victory on their own patch, so they will take on Newcastle as favourites. But Slot is wary nevertheless.
“Newcastle can score a lot of goals. They have so much offensive threat,” he added.
“I like the style of play Eddie Howe has introduced, a team who has a very good game plan, very intense with or without the ball.”
Slot has no major injury concerns but confirmed that Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez remain sidelined.
As for Newcastle, Jamaal Lascelles and Joelinton are out, although manager Howe will be hoping that the latter will return in time for the League Cup final on March 16. Sven Botman is a doubt.
The Magpies will be banking on star striker Alexander Isak, who has scored 19 goals in the Premier League this season following his brace against Forest.
However, it is in defence that Newcastle must improve, as they have conceded nine goals in their last three games and failed to keep a clean sheet in their previous five league matches.
Howe singled out Salah and said it would be a “challenge” for his team to defend against the forward.
“It’ll be about the team supporting that area of the pitch,” he said.
“We want to defend our goal to the highest level. I don’t think we’ve consistently had that in recent weeks but we’re gonna need that in this game.”
Third-place Forest, meanwhile, host Arsenal in a significant match for both sides – the Gunners hope to keep their slim title hopes alive while Forest are bidding for a top-four finish.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has reason to be optimistic as his side have an eight-game unbeaten run away from home in the Premier League, and have won four of their last five.
“We’re certainly going to continue to try (to chase Liverpool). I’m not going to stop, over my dead body, to increase the probability of us winning,” he said.
“We have been extremely consistent. (Last) weekend we had to do what we had to do but we got that defeat. On top of that, they (Liverpool) win.”
Myles Lewis-Skelly will not be able to play following his red card against West Ham. He will join the injured Bukayo Saka, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines.
