Slot not getting carried away after Liverpool move eight clear

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has warned his team against becoming overconfident, even after opening up an eight-point gap over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

Slot referenced Arsenal’s experience from two seasons ago when they held the same advantage in April but were ultimately overtaken by Pep Guardiola’s City, who secured their third consecutive league title.

Mohamed Salah played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s 3-2 victory against Southampton, scoring twice on Sunday.

Slot has now guided Liverpool to 10 wins in 12 league matches since taking charge, a record that historically almost guarantees a title.

Only twice in Premier League history has a team with such a start failed to lift the trophy.

Speaking after the match at St Mary’s, Slot said: “We know what we have to put into it to get this league and these wins.

Arne’s reaction from #SOULIV ⤵️

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 24, 2024

“There were one or two games that were won by a big margin, but the rest were all by small margins.

“We know how difficult it is to win a game, and these players have been in the Premier League longer than I have been.”

“I think last year [2022-23], even later on in the season, Arsenal led by eight points and City came back.

“You know if you face Arsenal, City, Chelsea, and Tottenham, who were great [in defeating City 4-0], they are all able to win so many games in a row.

“It is nice to have this position, but we are definitely not getting carried away.

Liverpool’s attention now shifts to the Champions League, where they host Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Slot acknowledged there are areas for improvement, despite their win on the South Coast.

He added: “We dominated the whole game, which is not that easy.

“Maybe you think: ‘Ah, we play the No. 20, this is what we expect.’ But I’ve seen many games of Southampton where they dominated.

“If you are 2-1 down after an hour, then maybe you are over the moon if you win 3-2.