Ahead of Liverpool's match at home to Ipswich Town on Saturday, Reds coach Arne Slot has refuted suggestions that his team are the best in the world.
The Premier League leaders come into the match on the back of a 17-game unbeaten run, having also secured a place in the top eight of the Champions League with a game to spare by beating Lille 2-1 on Tuesday.
Last weekend, Brentford coach Thomas Frank described Liverpool as the best in the business after seeing his team defeated 2-0 by two late goals from Darwin Nunez.
However, Slot disagrees and says: “No. I think we have a lot of quality and our players work very hard. When Thomas Frank says this, it means something.
“He's been in the Premier League for a long time and doesn't have a lot of resources, so if he gives this compliment then that's nice. I can think of five or six teams that are also very good.”
“Every time we win it is by small margins. They understand how hard we have to work for a win. Bayern Munich are very good and Barcelona beat Benfica 5-4.
“The privilege of coaching Liverpool is that you have more than eleven good players. You know how tough this competition and the Premier League are and it is up to the players to be ready when they get an opportunity.”
Ipswich coach Kieran McKenna, meanwhile, has suggested Saturday's match will be the toughest of the season for the relegation candidates.
“The players are working hard and they know we have climbed a mountain very quickly. There are going to be some difficult days ahead, we are not using that as an excuse,” he said.
“We are grateful for the way the fans have stuck with us. We have to analyze what things we need to do better and then we will move on to Liverpool.”
“Liverpool away is as tough as what's out there.”
The Tractor Boys were beaten 6-0 by Manchester City last Sunday but McKenna was keen to show how impressed he was with his players, acknowledging the difference in quality.
“They were excellent and if that was the case the gap between us was too big on the day. When they scored the first goal they played very well, our confidence dropped and they made us individually get a lot of promise,” said he.
“The players showed good character in the last 25 minutes. In a difficult moment they regrouped well in the last 20 minutes. We had to take our medicine and work hard to stop Man City.”
7 – Liverpool boss Arne Slot becomes only the second manager in UEFA Champions League history to win each of his first seven games in charge of a club, after Hansi Flick with Bayern Munich (won the first seven games between 2019 and 2021 ). Dominant. pic.twitter.com/vCNCtYYnE3
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 21, 2025
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Liverpool-Mohamed Salah
Salah is the most important player in the Premier League this season, both in terms of goals (18) and assists (13).
He comes into this match having scored four goals in his last five appearances at Anfield, while he has scored a total of 22 goals in all competitions this season.
Ipswich – Liam Delap
Delap has scored eight goals in the Premier League this season, which is at least twice as many as any other Ipswich player.
The 21-year-old has scored in four of his last seven games away from Portman Road in the league, while he also netted against top-four side Chelsea in late December.
MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN
Liverpool went into this match with just one defeat in their last 29 games in all competitions (W23 D5), having also defeated Ipswich by an aggregate score of 13-0 in their last three league games.
The home side also have an impressive record against Premier League newcomers, having won their last ten home games against promoted sides by an aggregate score of 34-7 since a 1-0 defeat to Fulham in March 2021.
They are unbeaten in their last seventeen league games, with their only defeat of the season so far coming at home to Nottingham Forest in September.
That is the longest unbeaten run any Liverpool manager has ever had in his first season at the helm since 1893-94.
Liverpool also have a higher expected goals (xG) rate than any other side in the Premier League this season (50.2), while only Southampton (52.6) have a higher xG against than Ipswich (45.8).
OPTA CHANCE OF WINNING
Liverpool – 81.4%
Draw – 10.8%
Ipswich – 7.9%
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