Arne Slot issues brutally honest title race verdict after Arsenal setback

Liverpool boss Arne Slot was asked about Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland ahead of his side’s Premier League clash against Manchester City on Sunday evening

Arne Slot kept his cards close to his chest when he was asked about the Premier League title race. Arsenal blew the chance to establish a nine-point lead at the top of the table on Saturday afternoon, when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland.

Chelsea were quick to pounce on that slip-up at the Stadium of Light, slashing the Gunners’ lead to six points with victory over Wolves just hours later. Shortly before Liverpool locked horns with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday evening, Slot was asked whether he had seen the result.

The Reds boss played down any notion that he or his squad had altered their preparations following the match in the North East. Speaking to Sky Sports, Slot said: “I think in general you focus on your own team.

“After the results we’ve had in the last one and a half months, it’s even more reason to focus on yourself and not on others. So we know the challenge ahead of us.

“City away is one of the most difficult games throughout the whole season, and we prepared for that and we didn’t pay more attention than to any other game.”

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Slot added: “I didn’t see the game at all because I was analysing, still, City one more time, for the 250th time probably this week. I heard the result, as I heard the result of all the other games played in the Premier League yesterday as well.”

The Dutchman was then asked if he would deploy a similar strategy to the one used against Real Madrid, anticipating that Man City might utilise Erling Haaland’s speed.

Liverpool had successfully kept Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham at bay in their 1-0 victory over Los Blancos in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.

Slot said: “There is a similarity. If you look at them, both number nines – Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland – both of them are incredibly fast. Both of them scoring most goals for their team.

“But, you cannot compare Real Madrid to Manchester City. In my opinion, both very, very, very good teams, but a manager that worked with a team for 10 years, not with all the same players, but worked here so long or a manager that’s only worked with a team for three or four months.

“That’s of course the difference. So, I have to agree with you. If you look at the pace of both number nines – Mbappe and Haaland – I see a lot of similarities.”

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