Liverpool ended 2024 with a scintillating 5-0 win over West Ham, but Arne Slot was keen to highlight his team's defensive strengths.
First-half goals from Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah put the Reds in a dominant position at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's deflected goal and a late try from substitute Diogo Jota capped an emphatic win that put Liverpool eight points clear at the Premier League summit.
Liverpool have lost just one match in all competitions this season, with that defeat coming in September to second-placed Nottingham Forest.
While their strong streak in front of goal grabbed the headlines, Liverpool were stingy at the back, conceding just seventeen goals in the league.
Only Arsenal (16) have conceded fewer goals in the Premier League this season, while Liverpool is level with Forest for the most clean sheets (eight).
“[Clean sheets] are one of the reasons why you win a lot,” says Slot.
“If you have to score two, three or four goals every time, that is difficult, at the moment we are doing that, but that is not sustainable in the long term.
“Sometimes you need a win by keeping a clean sheet and scoring one or two.”
Arne pic.twitter.com/Lc640Lh74Y
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 29, 2024
The shutout at West Ham was Liverpool's first clean sheet in five Premier League games, so Slot's warning seems timely after the Reds scored three goals against Newcastle United and Tottenham, while also conceding twice against Fulham earlier in December got.
Liverpool's five goals against West Ham came from five different goalscorers, and Slot believes the ability to spread the goals is another powerful weapon in the Reds' arsenal.
He added: “I like to see this because if you only rely on one player when it comes to goals, it usually doesn't really help.
“It's nice to see how the others score goals and threaten the other goal.
“This was the way I would like to see us play in an away game.
“The level you can reach in a match is always down to the team you are up against. West Ham are not normally competing to win the league so you always have to take that into account when looking at how happy you are are with an achievement.” .
“Away games are always difficult in the Premier League, and here last season I think it was 2-2. It's nice to see how we performed.”
Liverpool did suffer a blow against the Hammers, with Slot confirming that Joe Gomez had suffered a hamstring injury.
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