Programme notes'We want and need you to dream' - Arne Slot's message to Liverpool fans

The Reds chalked up their first away Premier League victory over Manchester City for almost a decade when they won 2-0 at Etihad Stadium on Sunday – a result that moved them 11 points clear at the summit.

The last of five top-flight fixtures in the space of a fortnight comes this evening as Newcastle United visit Anfield under the lights.

Writing in his matchday programme notes for the game, head coach Slot reveals the mindset within the Liverpool camp while encouraging the positivity being felt outside it to flourish.

“I have already heard a lot about what this stadium can be like for this fixture, especially in a night game, so I am hoping that it lives up to that reputation,” says the Dutchman.

“When I first arrived here last summer I already knew the difference that Anfield can make but seeing it, hearing it and feeling it is a very different thing to knowing it and I cannot say strongly enough that the more this kind of atmosphere can be reached the better.”

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Slot continues: “Outside of the club there will be a lot of focus on the league table and what different results could mean but this is not our world. Our focus is solely on doing the work and maintaining the focus that we know is an absolute necessity to give us the best possible chance of winning our next game.

“I know there will be those who believe this is something that we just say but I can assure them it is not. The reality is that in a league as competitive as this one, looking beyond the next opponent or getting drawn into possibilities can only be a distraction. This is not a mistake that we should make.

“Also, we should bear in mind that it was only last week after a couple of draws against Everton and Aston Villa and a tough, tough home game against Wolves that we were being questioned in some quarters.

“Our view on those results was different and that is why we also did not get drawn into the narratives that followed. It makes sense that the same applies even after what was admittedly an outstanding win away to Manchester City on Sunday.

“The exception that I would make to this is our fans. We do not just want you to dream, we need you to dream. This is a big part of what makes this club so special because it challenges the players and the staff to do everything that we possibly can to be the best that we can be.

“But it is important that you know that for us to stand any chance of living up to those hopes it takes an incredible amount of hard work every single day. There can be no let-up.”