Arne Slot has warned the Liverpool players that they have a week of three finals – and those Saturday's Anfield collision with Southampton is the most important of all.
Liverpool is expected to leave the Bottom team of the Premier League comfortably, but Slot, which is expected to make various changes to his starting line-up, has withdrawn over the idea that this game is considered a finished business by many.
Although the return leg of the Champions League the last 16 draw with Paris St Germain and the Carabao Cup collision with Newcastle in Wembley are the matches that have caught the imagination of supporters, Slot has underlined what is at stake against Southampton.
“For me, Southampton is by far the most important game,” said Slot. 'It's very important to us. If I make the choice to play other players, it is because I think this is the best way to win the game and not because I want to let them rest for PSG.
'If I do it, it is because there are only two days in between, but that is only to give us a better chance to win against Southampton.
'I have to convince my players that we play three finals, but I hope I also influence our fans.
“I hope that they will not enter the stadium five minutes before the kick -off and that it was completely filled half an hour before the start, so that these players get the reward for what they did in Paris.”
Bookmakers Paddy Power have already paid out the prospect that Liverpool is becoming champion and a victory at Anfield would see them 16 points from Arsenal before they started at Old Trafford on Sunday; However, their 7-1 victory in Eindhoven on Tuesday shows that they cannot be discounted.
“I don't have to look at Arsenal,” said Slot, who will probably be without Cody Gakpo again.
“We just have to look at the game we played against Southampton, 3-2 victory, very difficult, twice a goal, so we don't look at Arsenal, we only have to look at ourselves.”
Comments