Slot not surprised by Liverpool revival ahead of Man City clash

Liverpool boss Arne Slot said he was not surprised by his team’s return to form to win their last two games but warned on Friday that playing at Manchester City this weekend would pose a far more difficult challenge in a blockbuster Premier League clash.

Liverpool were at their lowest when they lost six of seven games in all competitions before they beat Aston Villa and Real Madrid, keeping clean sheets in both games.

“Our main focus is on consistency at the moment, as you know we’ve lost a few games, much more than we usually do … We were consistent but we were consistently losing. That wasn’t the idea,” a laughing Slot told reporters ahead of Sunday’s clash.

‘Lot of work to do’ for Liverpool

“It wasn’t a surprise for me how the last two games went. It was helpful that the other team did what we expected them to do,” he added.

“In eight out of the 10 games we’ve played this season, we’ve faced a different playing style. But there is still a lot of work to do to get more performances like that. It is helpful.”

City are second in the standings with 19 points while Liverpool are a point behind in third. Both teams are well adrift of Arsenal (25 points) but Slot said Pep Guardiola’s City were his immediate focus rather than the league table.

“These are the games everyone looks forward to and if you’re part of it, you look forward to it as well. It’s always worth watching because so many great individuals are playing that game,” Slot said.

“These teams, nine out of 10 times, give you what you expect. For me with Pep, that’s 10 out of 10.

“What I like about Pep Guardiola’s teams is, 10 out of 10 times, you get what you’re hoping for – a great game of football with no time-wasting, no things that I dislike about football.”

Tactical Szoboszlai switch

A tactical shift of moving Florian Wirtz out of the number 10 role and playing Dominik Szoboszlai in midfield has worked wonders, with the latter earning praise for his versatility having played in other positions this term due to injuries.

“Dom has been outstanding for us the whole season but these two games brought more out of the team and him. He has a lot of qualities. One is his work without the ball, I like that. The last two games were above his own standards,” Slot said.

They come from a country where access to basic services is uneven, and sport for people with disabilities is rare.

“Florian can play in more than one position. He can play off the left, which he did almost all the time in Bayer Leverkusen when (manager) Xabi Alonso came in.

“We would like to have him in and around the 18-yard box, centrally, or a bit more off the left or right for him to create the amount of chances he’s created for us.”

Slot said striker Alexander Isak will train for the first time on Friday after three weeks on the sidelines with a groin injury, while goalkeeper Alisson and defender Jeremie Frimpong are not expected to return until after the international break.