Last season, when Liverpool were in an epic battle for the championship with Manchester City and Arsenal, Liverpool stalled in the second half of the season, partly due to a string of injuries along the way. Jurgen Klopp’s final season as manager failed to produce any flowers.
Newly appointed manager Arne Slot has taken over the football developed by the German, but has created a new breeze in midfield and continued to stabilise defensively, for example by correcting Trent Alexander-Arnold’s positioning.
The Merseyside club are now past the turn of the season and top of both the Premier League and Champions League, but Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk, who wears the captain’s mark, admits that they are in good form, but resigned himself to the fact that there are no titles to be won in January.
“We are all working our socks off every single day and we are approaching each game with the right mindset. We know we are in a good position and our form is good, but we also know how many big challenges are ahead of us, and the moment you lose sight of that fact is the moment you come unstuck.”
“Everyone in the dressing room knows what it takes to be successful. Many of us have won big trophies – either with Liverpool, with other clubs or at international level – and the majority of us went through the challenges of last season, so we can draw on that experience and be better equipped to deal with certain situations and circumstances.”
“I think I speak for everyone when I say that along with knowing the importance of each game and each training and recovery session, we are also enjoying the ride. I know I am, and that is an important part of competing for big things. You have to embrace the challenges.”
“I have been asked a few times about whether we have surprised ourselves with how we have performed so far this season. Of course, I have always known the quality we have in this squad – we proved it last season, even if we didn’t have all the success we wanted – but nothing is won in January.”
“The key for us is that we try to stay fit and healthy, keep listening to the head coach and his staff, and maintain that consistency. If we do that, then the ride will continue to be enjoyable, both for ourselves and for you guys too.”
Liverpoolfc.com