Arne Slot has claimed Liverpool’s biggest challenges lie ahead with a difficult fixture list which begins with trips to RB Leipzig and Arsenal this week.
Slot’s team came through their hardest test yet by beating in-form Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday but the Dutchman says the way his players juggle the big games in both Champions League and Premier League will define their season.
Forward Diogo Jota is a doubt for the midweek game in Germany after being substituted with a suspected rib injury.
Slot said after goals from Mo Salah (pen) and Curtis Jones had kept his side top of the league by a point:
‘I say don’t judge us after this game, judge us after the next seven. We have Leipzig, Arsenal, Brighton twice, Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa, then Real Madrid.
Arne Slot has claimed Liverpool’s biggest challenges lie ahead with a difficult fixture list
‘Our biggest test is to play different competitions, three hard games in a week. You saw how difficult it was for us two years ago and last year for Manchester United and Newcastle. It is what Arsenal and Manchester City can do.
‘We have had some hard games this season but Chelsea was maybe the hardest because of the amount of quality players they have and the structure they have.
‘We had to fight really hard to get this one over the line.
‘I have a lot of confidence in the this team but always saw we had some problems. Trent (Alexander-Arnold) did not train for a few days after coming back from England duty, then we had Macca (Alexis Mac Allister).
‘So many things have to be done really well anywhere in the world to win a league title.’
Both managers felt they were on the wrong end of some debatable decisions.
Slot claimed referee John Brooks tried hard to show he was not influenced by the Anfield crowd and the Reds boss was booked after Mo Salah wasn’t given a penalty, whilst a penalty that was awarded for Robert Sanchez’s challenge on Jones was overturned by VAR.
But ultimately Chelsea had the bigger grievance with Alexander-Arnold’s kick on Jadon Sancho’s ankle not given shortly before Levi Colwill was punished for a touch on Jones.
Slot’s team came through their hardest test yet by beating in-form Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday
Blues boss Enzo Maresca said after his side’s first league defeat since the opening day of the season:
‘I am relaxed because I am happy with the performance of the team.
‘The decisions from the referee has been clear to me and for all of you. But there referee is there to take a decision, sometimes they are right, sometimes they are wrong.’