Liverpool players know how tough title run in is says Arne Slot

LONDON – Liverpool manager Arne Slot knows that every match now will be extra crucial as he seeks to win the English Premier League title in his first season in charge of the Reds.

His next task is a home clash with Newcastle United on Feb 26, also a prelude to the League Cup final in March.

Liverpool head into the match on the back of a 2-0 win over champions Manchester City over the weekend, with Mohamed Salah scoring his 25th league goal this season, hours after the Magpies beat Nottingham Forest 4-3.

Their victory – along with second-place Arsenal losing 1-0 to West Ham United – meant that they are 11 points clear of the Gunners, albeit having played a game more.

On not losing focus in the title race, Slot said: “I don’t think I need to even enforce that message.

“These players are so long in this competition, much longer than me, they know how tough the competition is.

“The players train for this, they are ready for this, and they have shown many times they can cope with many games.

“If you want to play at this club, you need to be at his (Salah) level, or you are almost useless to play at this club. We only need players at the top of their game, this is one of, if not the best club in the world to play for!”

Following a run of four games in which Liverpool struggled, a 1-0 FA Cup loss to Plymouth Argyle, two 2-2 draws with Everton and Aston Villa and a narrow 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Slot’s men showed what they were made of in their win over City.

The victory at the Etihad maintained their unbeaten away record in the league this season, while the