Arne Slot has said it is vital Liverpool improve their away results against the Premier League’s leading teams in order to win the title.
Liverpool visit Arsenal on Sunday knowing victory will establish a seven-point gap over Mikel Arteta’s side and with a grasp of how costly results away to their rivals proved last season. Jürgen Klopp’s team took seven points from a possible 21 at the top eight, beating only Newcastle among that group, although that return included a hugely controversial loss at Tottenham. Manchester City won 11 points and Arsenal nine from their corresponding away fixtures.
The leaders have already improved on their result at Old Trafford from last season and Slot admits more will be required to become champions. Liverpool’s head coach, who has presided over a club record 11 wins from the opening 12 games of a season, said: “It was seven points between Arsenal and Liverpool last season. The home game was 1-1, the away game Arsenal won. So if we could change the away result, which we can’t, to a win for Liverpool that would have been a one point difference between the two teams. That’s why if you play your competitor those games are vital, like the others but maybe these ones a bit more.”
Slot admits away results against the top eight alone will not decide the destiny of the title but insisted they provide an accurate gauge of a team’s championship credentials. “It’s too simple to say, ‘If you win those games the league table would have been different.’ To win those games, the hardest games to win, you need a certain quality,” the Dutchman said. “If you have that quality then you can compete for the league. If you want to win the league you need many, many points, and once in a while you have to win away [against the top teams].
“I remember the first year when Pep [Guardiola] was at [Manchester] City, they hardly won any away game. The second year it was the first one, Chelsea away; Kevin De Bruyne scored a solo goal and they won for the first time a big away game. So if you want to win this league, no matter who it is, you need to win a few of the five, six, seven very difficult away legs – Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Tottenham, City, [Manchester] United and Arsenal.”
Slot, who will again be without the injured Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa and Alisson on Sunday, has explained the tactical tweak to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s role that has seen the full-back operate less in midfield this season. “It is one of the ideas we have for how we want to bring the ball forward,” said Slot. “Sometimes that is with an inverted full-back and sometimes it is attracting the press in a different way and opening up the midfield in a different way.
“If the opposition presses us with a nine and a 10 it is already three versus two for us in midfield, so what is the use of bringing an extra player in there? Maybe that will change their press as well.
“Mo [Salah] benefits from Trent making the overlaps as well. That is helpful when Trent plays on the side rather than inside. He is good at all these things and it is not that he is never inside because for the second goal we scored against Chelsea he came inside.”
Meanwhile, Dave Fallows, Liverpool’s longstanding director of scouting and recruitment, has announced he is leaving the club.
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Fallows has worked for Liverpool for the past 12 years and, alongside the chief scout, Barry Hunter, was a major influence in building the team that won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups and the Club World Cup under Klopp. He had intended to step down earlier this year but postponed his decision to help with the transition to a new management team under Slot.
Announcing his decision Fallows, who worked previously for Manchester City, Newcastle and Bolton, said: “The leadership here, from ownership, through to Michael [Edwards], Richard [Hughes, sporting director], Arne, Billy [Hogan, chief executive] and Alex [Inglethorpe, academy director] is world-class. I have no doubt they will continue to thrive. They are supported by great people across many departments who I will miss working with but will continue to stay close to. I am especially grateful to Barry Hunter and all those within the recruitment department who have been a joy to work alongside. Leaving in the knowledge that I will be leaving this place in such great shape is something that means a lot to me.”
Edwards, chief executive of football at Fenway Sports Group, said: “Dave has been a trusted colleague for over 10 years and a close friend for two decades. I respect his decision and wish him nothing but success with whatever he does next. He and his family will always be welcome at our club after the contribution he has made. We will miss him.”
