Programme notes'Special Anfield atmosphere helps us a lot' - Arne Slot

Roared on by a vociferous home crowd, the Reds produced second-half performances that overwhelmed Brighton & Hove Albion and Bayer Leverkusen in the past week.

Slot’s team sign off for the November international break with another game at Anfield this evening, with Villa the opposition in the 8pm GMT kick-off.

And, in his notes for the matchday programme, the head coach writes: “We only have to go back one week to the visit of Brighton to Anfield when we had to play with an incredible high intensity to turn that game around against a very strong opponent.

“This is what it takes when a league is so competitive because the margins for error do not allow for shortcuts. We could have lost, we could have drawn but we found a way to win and this pleases me a lot, especially as we deserved the three points in the end.

“That we then followed this up with a victory against Bayer Leverkusen is even more pleasing because I said at the start of this spell that the biggest test would be playing games in the Premier League and the Champions League in the space of a few days.

“This is not an easy thing to do and it is also something that the team had not done last season because they were in the Europa League, but they have shown that they are ready for the challenge.

“We would be the first to acknowledge the help that we have received from our supporters, though. Of course I knew about the atmosphere at Anfield before I came to Liverpool but to experience it at its best as head coach is an incredible experience, particularly when I am able to see the positive effect that it has on our players.

“In the last two home games the atmosphere has been special. In moments when we have really needed them, the fans have given us the extra push that we required and in general the support has been unbelievable.

“I would never like to ask too much of people who have already given so much but if the atmosphere even comes close today it will help us a lot.”

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