Arne Slot has insisted Liverpool have significant room for improvement this season, despite an upturn in results, and believes the team can only reach their potential once set-piece issues are resolved. The Reds have recovered from a dire run of nine defeats in 12 games – their worst in 71 years – to climb to fifth in the Premier League, level on points with Chelsea. However, Slot remains cautious, stressing that performance levels must improve substantially.
“We are in the position we deserve after the first half of the season,” said the Liverpool head coach, who will be without the suspended Dominik Szoboszlai and long-term absentee Alexander Isak for Saturday’s match against Wolves. “I think we should be higher, let that be clear – I was expecting and hoping for us to be higher in the table – but even in the last six games the difference between us and the other team is constantly too small.”
Slot acknowledged that Liverpool have been fortunate in recent results against Tottenham and Brighton, and wants the team to dominate games to eliminate the influence of luck. He pointed to refereeing decisions and set-piece vulnerability as factors in early-season defeats, but refused to use them as excuses. “We need to make sure like last season when a lot of decisions went against us as well but it didn’t hurt us,” he added.
The statistics underline Slot’s concerns: only Bournemouth (12) have conceded more set-piece goals in the league than Liverpool (11), while the Reds have scored just three from such situations – a stark contrast to rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, who each have 10. “If you look at our set-piece balance, there is not one team in the world that is minus eight in set pieces and is still joint-fourth in the league,” Slot noted. “From open play we are the number-one team in the league for chance creation but I don’t think anyone sees it because I think in general we are criticised a lot.”
Despite the frustrations, Slot is confident that the second half of the season will bring improvement. “Players are getting fitter and fitter, not only the ones we brought in but also the ones who missed out in pre-season. They are getting used to each other. I think the best is still to come for this team.”
