Slot: Liverpool's 'first aim' this season is top four
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Arne Slot, Liverpool's head coach, has emphasized that the club’s primary goal this season is to finish in the Premier League's top four. This would secure qualification for the UEFA Champions League and reflects Liverpool’s challenging start to the campaign.
Slot acknowledged Liverpool’s difficulties after winning only two of their last nine Premier League matches, leaving them ninth in the table. Despite this, they remain close to the top four, just two points behind Chelsea, who currently hold fourth place. Slot highlighted the increasing competitiveness of the Premier League, noting, “The Premier League gets better every single season... because everybody has so much money,” illustrating how narrow the margins are between teams this season.
Recent results include a 1-1 draw at Anfield against newly promoted Sunderland, where SLOT noted improvements compared to earlier heavy defeats. He expressed satisfaction at Liverpool securing four points from their last two matches and praised their improved defensive resilience, pointing out that in recent games they were "one deflection away from keeping two clean sheets."
Slot also identified positive signs in the performances of new signings such as Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, and Alexander Isak, with Isak scoring his first Premier League goal. Despite these improvements, Slot admitted Liverpool are not yet where they want to be, and the pursuit of a top-four finish remains urgent.
Slot’s decisions, including resting key player Mohamed Salah for consecutive games, have attracted attention. The coach defended these decisions, stating Salah is always considered for starting lineup selection and emphasized the depth of quality in Liverpool’s squad.
Overall, Slot’s message is clear: Liverpool must regain consistency and improve their standings to meet their season’s first aim, which is to return to the Premier League’s top four and secure Champions League qualification.