Few may have predicted Liverpool would win the Premier League after losing Jurgen Klopp but Arne Slot did not arrive at Anfield believing it was mission impossible.
Why would it be? This is Liverpool after all. The most successful club in England. That’s the view of the Reds head coach. His side could be crowned Premier League champions tomorrow if Arsenal lose to Ipswich and they beat Leicester City.
Even if it doesn’t happen on Easter Sunday, it’s only delaying the inevitable. They’ll get the chance to win it at home against Tottenham next Sunday, if Arsenal don’t slip up against Crystal Palace in midweek.
It has been over for a number of weeks now as the Reds close in on a record-equalling 20th league title. They’ve proven the predictors very wrong but Slot didn’t rock up at the club to replace Klopp thinking a league title wouldn’t be possible in his first season in Liverpool.
“You go to a club like Liverpool, where you feel there’s always an opportunity,” he said. “But I also like to be realistic, and realistic was the two seasons before.
“Last season, they came closer than the season before, but last season, they only had Europa League, where the starters hardly ever played. So we knew we had the challenge of doing well in the Premier League, combined with Champions League, which was the season before, quite difficult.
“But it’s not like I went to a club that has never competed for the number one position. So, yeah, it’s in your mind. But that’s not the first thing you think of. Your first thing is try to play good football, win as many games as you can, and then let’s see what comes from that in the league table.
“But it would be weird if I would say now, if you join Liverpool, ‘oh, I’m completely surprised with the position we are in at the moment’. Because this is not a strange position for this club to be in.”
Liverpool will win the league but Slot is still not going to say it. His choice of words even careful yesterday at his pre-match press conference when he said they’re top of the league “at the moment”. Why not allow himself to savour the glory just yet?
“Because we still have to win two games of football out of six,” he added. “And yeah, the last 32 games have shown us that we have to fight really hard for bringing a winner over the line. And that’s still what we have to do.”
Liverpool could end up relegating Leicester tomorrow in what could be a stadium of very mixed emotions at full-time. The next few weeks will then just be about celebrating their success with guards of honour ahead of a trophy presentation on the final weekend.
Some players may be playing for their futures, though. One being Darwin Nunez. Slot denied rumours that the player had words with a coaching staff member last week which led to him leaving a training session early and then not being in the squad for the 2-1 win over West Ham.
The Uruguayan will travel to Leicester tomorrow after “not feeling himself” last week. Slot said: “He didn’t feel himself the day before the match, and he went inside and he wasn’t able to be part of the team the day after.”
When asked if he had words with a staff member, Slot added: “No, he didn’t. He did leave the pitch because he didn’t feel himself.”
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