ReactionArne Slot press conference: Leicester win, Gakpo form, Salah and seven-point lead
Arne Slot insisted Liverpool must continue to just ‘take it one game at a time’ after his side moved seven points clear at the Premier League summit.
The Reds responded to an early concession against Leicester City at Anfield on Thursday night, with Jordan Ayew giving the visitors a sixth-minute lead.
Cody Gakpo’s emphatic effort equalised on the stroke of half-time and Slot’s side went on to secure a 3-1 win thanks to goals in the second period from Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah.
At his post-match press conference, the head coach assessed the clash with the Foxes, the form of Gakpo and Salah specifically, and the status of the title race.
Read every word below…
On how he feels after going seven points clear with another win…
First of all, it’s important to win a game and I think we should win at home against Leicester, but I had the same feeling against Fulham and Nottingham Forest; so, you always have to do a lot, especially in the Premier League, to win a game. And that was also [the case] today, because we went 1-0 down. The league table is something of course we are aware of, but we also understand how many games there are still to play.
On the crucial equalising goal from Gakpo just before half-time…
I think that was crucial today. I was happy with the first-half performance, I was happy with the start. There was only one minute I wasn’t happy with and that was the minute we conceded a goal, that was I think the only thing we didn’t do well during the first half. We created from the start our chances, we threatened them a lot, brought a lot of balls into the box where we arrived with many players – I saw Robbo [Andy Robertson] many times in front of goal. So, I could not have asked for that much more. But I think it was crucial to score the 1-1 just before half-time because that lifted us up and you could see that immediately in the second half, where we just kept on going with what we did. It was not only helpful for us, but I think it also worked the opposite way for Leicester, they felt like, ‘OK, now it’s going to be tough.’
On Salah ‘producing the goods when it matters’…
Yeah, great goal again. Similar to the first one from Cody, I think both goals were quite similar. I think it was just before we scored the 1-1 that Mo had a similar shot that hit the bar and he had just before that a shot with his right that just went over the bar. Like I said, we arrived there many times and if these players – like Cody, like Lucho [Luis Diaz], like Diogo [Jota], like Darwin [Nunez], like Mo – if they arrive often enough in promising positions, they will deliver.
On Gakpo reaching double figures for goals this season and the decision to use him from the left…
I think the main difference maybe is that the set-up of the front three was a bit different [in the past] than the set-up now. We expect a bit from our wingers to keep it wide, to try to get them in one-v-one situations. Cody has done this really well. Lucho has done this really well when he played from the left but Lucho is, in our opinion, also capable of playing as a nine; he did that really well against Spurs. Against Spurs it was mainly maybe Lucho and Mo that were dominant, now it was Cody again, together with Mo. It’s just nice to have so many options, in every position actually but also in the front three.
On the lead Liverpool now hold at the top of the table…
I think if you’re in this game for a long time, like these players are and I am as well, then you know 20 games before the end you don’t look at it. You know so many challenges are still ahead of you. I think it was two months ago we were one point behind [Manchester] City and look what has happened there; in terms of injuries and then you have a bit of bad luck, you have a suspension. This can happen to any team, so it’s far too early to already be celebrating.
But it is of course nice for us to be the team who we are. So, we know we are able to do this. But you have been at all these games like me and I don’t think there was any easy win for us during all these games. It could have been an easy win against Tottenham but then we conceded two and it was 5-3 and I was still like, ‘Hmm, OK’, I was quite happy with us scoring a sixth goal. That tells you how difficult it is to win if all your players are available, let alone if somewhere during the season you pick up some injuries or suspensions. That’s why we just have to take it one game at a time.
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