Slot makes ‘completely clear’ Arsenal and Man City admission | OneFootball

Arne Slot has admitted that Arsenal and Manchester City have simply been better than Liverpool this season, offering a candid explanation for why the Reds have struggled to defend the Premier League title.

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Our head coach lifted the trophy in his first campaign after replacing Jurgen Klopp, but this year has proven much more challenging, with the club currently sitting sixth in the table.

Speaking to Owen Hargreaves for TNT Sports’ The Breakdown, Slot acknowledged that several factors have contributed to the drop-off.

The Dutchman admitted that repeating success in the modern Premier League is extremely difficult, especially during a period of squad transition.

Slot said: “It’s clear that going back-to-back is difficult, let alone in the Premier League, let alone in the current Premier League, where competitors can do similar things or even more than we can do.”

The Liverpool boss explained that changes within the squad have played a significant role.

“We always knew this would be very difficult because we lost a lot of players and we brought players in that took some time to be up to speed.”

Slot explains why Liverpool fell behind rivals

According to Slot, the adaptation process for new signings has been one of the key challenges.

The former Feyenoord manager stressed that the issue was not necessarily about performances, but about coping with the relentless physical demands of the schedule.

Slot said: “Not by the performances but playing every three days. That intensity is something new for a few of them.”

The Liverpool manager also pointed to injuries and disrupted preparation as further reasons behind the team’s struggles.

“Add to that the injuries we had, some players missing out of pre-season… that has meant, with multiple other factors, that we were not able to compete to win it again.”

At the same time, the 47-year-old was clear that our rivals deserve credit for their own progress.

Slot added: “The way Arsenal has done in the summer period by signing so many good players and then still playing the football they do… they improved even more.”

He then delivered the most direct comparison with another title rival.

“City as always are on top over there. They have been better than us this season, that is completely clear.”

Champions League qualification now Liverpool’s priority

With the title race now beyond Liverpool, the focus has shifted towards securing Champions League qualification.

Slot explained that returning to Europe’s top competition is vital for both sporting and financial reasons: “It’s very important for us as a team because we want to be in the Champions League.”

The Liverpool boss also acknowledged the broader impact on the club’s finances during this transitional period: “We’re still in that transition and a transition works better if there is money available.”

That reality means finishing in the top five is now one of the most important objectives for the remainder of the campaign.

Slot’s position has already come under scrutiny in recent weeks, with reports that Liverpool blocked his request to bring John Heitinga back to the coaching staff while Peter Crouch has warned the club not to be too trigger happy with the Dutchman despite the disappointing season.

The pressure is on to be back to the best for the rest of this campaign and certainly the next one.