Liverpool manager Arne Slot is confident that he and The Reds can still make a big impact this season. The Dutchman said as much at the press conference ahead of the Premier League blockbuster against Arsenal.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot heads into Thursday night’s trip to Arsenal knowing it is the kind of fixture that can reshape a season in a single ninety minutes.
Liverpool visit the Premier League leaders at the Emirates with a clear gap between the teams in the table, but also with a recent run of results that has restored belief inside the dressing room. Slot’s message in his pre match press conference was consistent: the challenge is huge, the opponent is elite, but Liverpool still have enough quality, and enough to fight for across multiple competitions, to treat this game as an opportunity rather than a punishment.
The context is unavoidable. Arsenal are top of the Premier League and have built a fourteen point cushion over fourth placed Liverpool, a margin that underlines both Arsenal’s consistency and Liverpool’s uneven rhythm earlier in the campaign. For Slot, though, league positions do not fully capture the competitiveness of the fixture. He leaned on what Liverpool have shown in recent weeks and what they have already proven against Arsenal this season, when the sides met at Anfield and Liverpool won 1-0 through a late Dominik Szoboszlai strike. That result, in Slot’s view, is evidence that Liverpool can match Arsenal at a high level, even if their league form has not always reflected it.
“This match is of great importance,” Slot said, framing the trip as a benchmark rather than a crisis point. He emphasised that Liverpool’s season is not defined only by the league table. The club remain involved in the FA Cup and the Champions League, and that wider picture changes the way Liverpool approach a marquee Premier League game. For Slot, it is not only about chasing points, it is also about measuring where his team stands against what he described as a “very good Arsenal.”
Slot’s respect for Arsenal was notable because it was specific and comprehensive. He pointed to their development over the past years and argued that they have continued to improve, rather than plateau after coming close. His assessment of Arsenal’s profile was blunt: they have a lot of strengths and very few weaknesses. In other words, Arsenal are not leading the league by accident or by short bursts of form. Slot described them as having “the complete package,” suggesting balance in and out of possession, depth, physicality, and the kind of game management that wins tight matches as well as open ones. The conclusion of that assessment was simple: Arsenal deserve to be where they are.
For Liverpool, the most relevant part of Slot’s press conference was not flattery toward the opponent, but how he framed his own team’s trajectory. He acknowledged that Liverpool suffered a significant dip in autumn form, one that disrupted momentum and created a broader narrative around inconsistency. Since then, the results have steadied. Liverpool are unbeaten in nine matches, a run that typically signals a team has found its feet again. Slot, however, refused to let the unbeaten streak become a comfort blanket. He pointed out that within that run Liverpool have drawn too often, highlighting Leeds and Fulham as games where the team left points on the table. The message was clear: progress is real, but it is incomplete.
That self criticism matters because it connects directly to Liverpool’s main issue this season. Slot was explicit: consistency has been missing. The squad is talented, he argued, and when everyone is available Liverpool can do a lot. But the evidence of ability has appeared in flashes rather than as a constant. This is why Arsenal away becomes so significant. It is not only a chance to take points from the leaders, it is a chance to show that Liverpool can deliver a complete performance in a hostile environment, against a team that punishes hesitation.
Slot also addressed the more uncomfortable part of recent commentary around Liverpool, particularly the claim that their football has become dull. He referenced the Fulham match as an example where spectators did not find the game enjoyable. His response was striking because it was not defensive in the usual sense. He admitted he finds it difficult to hear the team described as boring, but he did not fully reject the criticism either. He said he would choose a different word, yet he takes the feedback seriously. That is a managerial balancing act: protect the team’s confidence while acknowledging that improvement is required.
He then moved into a more technical explanation that goes to the heart of modern football debates. Slot is known for attacking football, he said, and Liverpool are still trying to play that way. But possession alone does not equal attacking football. You can control the ball without creating danger, and you can dominate territory without producing chances. Slot admitted Liverpool are struggling to create a high volume of opportunities, a problem that can make a team appear controlled but blunt. At the same time, he broadened the point, noting Liverpool are not the only side finding it difficult. That comment can be read two ways: a recognition that many teams are dealing with compact defensive structures and physical intensity, and also a subtle reminder that the Premier League is increasingly unforgiving, where even top sides often have to grind for openings.
Slot stressed that this is an area Liverpool work on daily. The importance of that line is not just motivational. It reflects a real tactical challenge: converting ball circulation into penetration, improving final third decision making, increasing the number of entries into dangerous zones, and getting more reliable finishing sequences. Against Arsenal, this becomes even harder, because Arsenal have been one of the best teams in the league at limiting high quality chances while still maintaining an attacking threat of their own.
The psychological framing of the match was also central to Slot’s comments. He described a win at the Emirates as something that would “mean a huge amount” to Liverpool. Not merely for the points, but for what it would confirm internally. Liverpool, he said, know they can compete with Arsenal. They have already proven it. That confidence is important because teams travelling to league leaders often fall into a passive mindset, focusing on damage limitation rather than belief. Slot was clearly trying to prevent that. He wants Liverpool to treat the game as a top level duel, not as a situation where they must hope Arsenal are off their game.
He also expanded the discussion beyond Arsenal. Slot spoke about the enjoyment and value of playing top matches against elite opponents, naming Manchester City and Real Madrid alongside Arsenal. The point was to emphasise that Liverpool still see themselves as belonging in that bracket, regardless of the current points gap. These are the fixtures that can define seasons and accelerate development, especially for a squad that has had to regain stability after a difficult period.
Finally, Slot returned to the theme of what is still possible. He insisted the season can still be special. That is not empty optimism at Liverpool. The club has a history of finding ways to win trophies even when league form is imperfect. Slot acknowledged the reality that Liverpool are fourteen points behind Arsenal and are missing some players, but he insisted the squad still has enough quality and depth to make it a proper contest. That matters because the narrative around injuries and absences can become an excuse before a ball is kicked. Slot tried to frame it differently: adversity is real, but it does not remove Liverpool’s capacity to compete.
So Thursday night becomes a test on multiple levels. It is a test of Liverpool’s recent resilience, their ability to turn an unbeaten run into genuine momentum, and their capacity to create chances against the league’s most complete side. It is also a test of Slot’s project, because these are the matches where style, structure, and belief are exposed most clearly. Arsenal may be the favourites based on form and the table, but Liverpool arrive with a clear target: prove that the earlier Anfield win was not a one off, and show that this season’s story is still open.
