Reaction'A real team performance' - Arne Slot's press conference after Bournemouth 0-2 Liverpool
Arne Slot felt a strong team performance allowed Liverpool's individual quality to shine as the Premier League leaders won 2-0 at AFC Bournemouth.
The Reds earned the three points thanks to Mohamed Salah's double, with the No.11 scoring in either half at Vitality Stadium.
His first came from the penalty spot after Cody Gakpo was fouled by Lewis Cook, before he netted with a stunning curling effort 15 minutes from time.
Slot – who saw his team move nine points clear at the top of the standings – spoke to reporters in a post-match press conference.
Read what the head coach said below...
On the game being a 'battle' for his team...
It was, as expected. So, I said before the game that after our home game when we were 3-0 up at half-time, the way they came at us in the second half, I already knew what a great mentality this team has and quality as well. From that moment onwards they've done so well in the league. They've picked up points against so many good teams, not by luck, but because they're intense. They have quality and that's why we knew it was always going to be very hard and if you want to win here maybe you need a bit of luck as well because the margins are so small. Our penalty was just not offside and their goal to make it 1-1 was just offside. They hit the post twice, we had our chances as well, but it was a close call for us to win this game.
On how pleased he was with his players standing up to the physical nature of the game...
That's true. Only a few of them have been as tough like this and that's what I told them before. In all the data when it comes to running they are so high up on the list, so we knew that if we would've had any chance of a result over here we at least had to compete with them in terms of running, fighting, playing the duels and all these things. I think that's what the players did and having Mo Salah definitely helps in a game like this.
On Alisson Becker's performance...
Like I said, if you want to win here against a team that is so competitive then you need a team performance and work-rate. That's what we have and you need some quality individuals that make the difference for you and that goal of Mo was absolute quality and the saves Alisson made as well. But it was not only them, the way our centre-backs were defending again today was also impressive.
So, team performance and work-rate was incredible. It's the only way to have a chance for a result and then you need good individual performances and positive margins. Like I just explained with both offsides that were in our favour.
On whether it was a vital victory in the context of a Premier League title race...
Almost every game feels like this for me. We've had so many of our games until the end exciting and there were a few moments already this season where it felt that we're just not on the right side. All the points we've got until now I think we deserved them. I have said many times already the Chelsea game, that's under debate, and maybe this game we weren't unlucky, let's put it that way, but Fulham at home being 2-2 and getting chance after chance. [Manchester] United at home getting chance after chance at 2-2. [Nottingham] Forest ending as a draw with us getting chance after chance in the end of the game.
What I want from them and what they want from each other is that they fight in every single game from the first until the last second to get the maximum result and that's what the fans expect from them playing for this club. That's what we try to do in every single game and it's also necessary if you want to have any chance of a result in this league.
On Ryan Gravenberch playing further over to the right of midfield in the game...
Not many things that we do are just by coincidence. I think it is clear that they have many good things, this team, and their left full-back is definitely a threat going forwards. Mo Salah is an incredible player but his main strength is not following the opposite full-back. But that's not the only thing. We want to keep Mo as much as we can forward as well because it is a risk for every team that plays us if the left full-back goes. I think Ipswich, that was a moment where the left full-back just wanted to go forward and then Mo was free in transition and it was a goal from Mo. It's clear that if you leave Trent [Alexander-Arnold] constantly with [Antoine] Semenyo and [Milos] Kerkez constantly in a two-v-one, that is not the best idea that I can come up with.
On the decision to award Liverpool a penalty in the first half...
The only thing I can say is, and I haven't seen it back, is that one of my players is on a clear one-v-one to the goalkeeper and he is falling down. Either he makes a dive, or they touch him, and if they touch him then for me it is a penalty and if then it would not have even been a chance. You're always like, 'Is this really a penalty then?' But this was such a clear one-on-one chance that if he touched him, which I assume he did, otherwise the VAR would've interfered.
On whether the penalty decision was an example of the 'luck' you sometimes need in a title race...
I can come up with three, four or five examples [where] we didn't get the luck we deserved, or we didn't get the decision we deserved. But that's always the difficult thing in football. If there's one thing in your favour then people will probably tell you then there's always that luck for Liverpool, or for the one that is No.1 at the moment. For me, this has nothing to do with luck.
It is a clear one-v-one and I can tell you if Cody Gakpo goes one-v-one to the goalkeeper it's quite a big chance as well. If you are then tripped it is a penalty. It's not like it's a penalty from a set-piece and it wasn't even a chance. So, I wouldn't call this luck, unless I see this back and I see he didn't touch him at all. It was not luck then it was a wrong decision by the referee and the VAR, but I assume that it was not the situation.