Arne Slot sets timeline for Liverpool to prove Premier League title credentials
Liverpool are currently top of the Premier League table and are facing a crucial four weeks, with a visit from Chelsea to Anfield up first for the Reds on Sunday evening
by Chris McKenna · The MirrorLiverpool boss Arne Slot believes he will know how good his side really are after the next four weeks.
The Reds are top of the Premier League table having won six of their first seven games, cruising in the Champions League and into the next round of the Carabao Cup after a dream start for the Dutchman on Merseyside.
But Slot admits they’ve had an easier fixture list than their rivals to help him get off a flying star. That’s set to change with Chelsea to visit Anfield on Sunday before a visit to RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
Then the Reds head to Arsenal before back-to-back games with Brighton in the league and Carabao Cup. Liverpool also play Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen in Europe with games against Aston Villa and Manchester City also coming up.
“If you judge your team only on a week that would not be fair,” said Slot. “We have to judge us after this spell of games, not three but six seven eight then we know better how we act if we play tough Champions League games and tough league games.
“We know how difficult it is. We saw the last year when we played Champions League, we saw last year with Man United, the only ones in the last two seasons who show they can play Champions League and Premier League is City and Arsenal. The best way to judge us in four weeks.”
Liverpool head into the Chelsea game with Virgil van Dijk refreshed after he was sent off in Holland’s first game in the international break against Hungary so sat out their second game.
HAVE YOUR SAY! How should Liverpool line up against Chelsea? Comment below.
But he also came back to Merseyside early which brought about criticism in the Dutch media. He added: “If you are not coming from Holland, it might not be a surprise if you are coming from Holland, you know the Dutch media is all about criticism.
“I exaggerate a bit but if there is a chance to criticise Dutch people will. I don’t think he deserves this because he played some very good games. Is it a surprise he gets criticism?
"I would say it is because in this schedule it is normal you have a few days off. How on earth you can criticise a player who plays every game for us and also the Euros but that is Dutch media.”
Slot is also dealing with a number of selecttion headaches due to several injuries hitting his squad. The Dutchman declined to name all the players struggling with issues and insisted it was a waiting game.
"We have quite some issues from players coming back from the national teams. We can only judge that perfectly today because today is the first time that they're all in and the first time that they're all training together again," he said.
"So let's see after the session where everybody is. Mac Alister missed one game, Kostas missed out in the first game, against England. So I can name them all. We've got a few issues going on but let's wait and see where we are after today."
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