‘Don’t write Premier League off’ says Slot after disastrous Champions League week

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot says Premier League clubs should not be written off in Europe on the back of one bad week.

His side were one of four top-flight teams to lose in the Champions League, with Arsenal drawing away to Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle held 1-1 by Barcelona at home.

While his side’s performance in the defeat to Galatasaray in Istanbul was particularly anaemic, Slot argued the margins were fine – as they were in several other fixtures – and attributed it to one poor week generally.

‘Let’s not jump to conclusions’

“To jump to a conclusion after one game day, I think that is such a small sample size that is never the smartest thing to do because maybe, after next week, we will have a different conclusion,” said the Dutchman.

“In general, I think it is not helpful for English clubs not to have a winter break, but I am not saying that all these teams have lost because we don’t have a winter break.

“You are facing in the last 16 of Europe good teams and four of the five teams in the Champions League played away from home. It is usually an advantage to play at home and a disadvantage to play away.

“To jump to conclusions – missing a winter break or the level of the Premier League is not as high as we expected it to be – would be, for me, at this moment in time, not the right conclusion to make. Let’s first judge us all after next week and then maybe it is still too early to jump to conclusions.”

Slot has more pressing concerns closer to home than the wider health of English football, with his team looking to bounce back after two defeats in three matches.

The visit of Tottenham may provide the perfect tonic as the Londoners, themselves enduring a six-match losing streak and reeling from a 5-2 humiliation against Atletico Madrid, possess a dismal record at Anfield.

Spurs have won only six league matches in their history at the ground and just one (in 2011) of the last 31 visits. Last season they were reduced to helpless spectators as Liverpool confirmed their Premier League title triumph with a 5-1 demolition in April.

“There is a big difference between where we are now and where we were then but it is a great memory,” added Slot, who dismissed suggestions they were under significant pressure to win.

“I think if Tottenham would be number one in the league at the moment, every fan would expect us to win at home. Every game this club plays at home we are expected to win. That has nothing to do with the form of the other team or where they are in the league or the quality they have.

“We can win our 1,500th (league game) at home. Expectations come from history and history has shown this club has been able to win a lot of games, let alone home games. It doesn’t matter who we face. Expectations are always sky high at this club and that is what we are embracing because that also means this club is able to win things, and that’s what we’ve done in the past few years and in their history as well.”

Slot is hopeful goalkeeper Alisson will have recovered from the minor muscle problem which prevented him travelling to Istanbul in midweek.

The Champions League draw

The draw for the Champions League quarter-finals is:

Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea v Galatasaray or Liverpool

Real Madrid or Manchester City v Atalanta or Bayern Munich

Newcastle or Barcelona v Atletico Madrid or Tottenham

Bodo/Glimt or Sporting CP v Bayer Leverkusen v Arsenal

The draw for the Champions League semi-finals is:

Silver path: PSG/Chelsea/Galatasaray/Liverpool v Real Madrid/Manchester City/Atalanta/Bayern Munich

Blue path: Newcastle/Barcelona/Atlético Madrid/Tottenham v Bodo/Sporting CP/Bayer Leverkusen/Arsenal