Record-breaking Liverpool vow to improve against Leipzig

Slot's 10 wins in his first 11 games is the best start for a Liverpool manager. The Reds are top of the Premier League table, having conceded just three goals in eight games, while they have won two from two in Europe.

The Dutch manager said Tuesday his side was far from the finished article, citing Sunday's 2-1 home win over Chelsea. "You can't ask for much more when it comes to results, but when it comes to what we want there's always room for improvement.

"I don't think we outplayed Chelsea we should but we didn't. They had more of the ball than us. In an ideal world, we would have dominated them like we've done in other games."

Asked if the crowded fixture schedule and Liverpool's mounting fixture list put more pressure on Wednesday's game, Slot replied "I never think it's a good idea to lose games, no matter where you are in the season.

"The fixture list is tough, but what do you expect if you play the Champions League? It's what we like, it's what we want, so we have to deal with it." Liverpool travelled to Germany missing several players, including Diogo Jota, Alisson, Conor Bradley, Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa.

Liverpool's opponents Leipzig are sitting second behind Bayern Munich on goal difference in the league and have conceded just two goals in seven games, but lost both their Champions League matches.

Slot was wary of Leipzig, saying their results "don't tell the whole story. "They've had the difficulty of playing two very difficult teams in the Champions League (Atletico Madrid and Juventus)."

Returning to his former club, Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai praised Leipzig, saying he "came here as a young player and left as a grown man". Szoboszlai echoed his coach's sentiments about improvement, saying his own form "can always be better.

"I can play better, I can score more goals, lay on more assists, but now I'm doing the dirty job for the team. That's what is most important for me: if we're top of the league and I score no goals, I'll take it."

Szoboszlai is yet to score in the Premier League but has one goal and one assist in two Champions League games. Asked about what Liverpool can achieve this season, the 23-year-old said: "I won't answer that question anymore.

"We are looking forward to the season and we want to achieve a lot, but let's see what we can do."

 

October 22, 2024