Liverpool manager Arne Slot maintains that his side have shown meaningful improvement despite a turbulent stretch in their Premier League title defence. Speaking on Friday, Slot highlighted recent performances as evidence of progress, particularly the emerging influence of summer signing Florian Wirtz.
Liverpool have endured a dramatic downturn, suffering six defeats in their last nine league matches and collecting only two wins in that period. Yet, despite the slump, they remain just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea heading into Saturday’s meeting with second-from-bottom Leeds United.
Currently ninth, Liverpool have taken four points from their previous two fixtures—beating West Ham 2-0 before drawing 1-1 with Sunderland. This mini-revival comes on the back of heavy defeats to Manchester City (3-0), Nottingham Forest (3-0) and PSV Eindhoven (4-1) in the Champions League.
Slot admitted the recent uptick does not erase underlying concerns, but he views it as a shift in the right direction:
“Four points from two games is different to the previous home results when we conceded seven goals. We were one deflection away from two clean sheets, which is progress.”
He also noted improvement in defensive organisation and set-piece resilience—areas that had faltered during their previous losses.
“We didn’t concede from a set-piece in either match. That’s important. And the summer arrivals are starting to show more consistency.”
Wirtz, signed in a major squad overhaul worth roughly £450 million ($600 million), has struggled to adapt but delivered a key moment in midweek when his run and shot led to Liverpool’s equaliser versus Sunderland—eventually ruled an own goal. Slot also praised fellow signings Milos Kerkez and Alexander Isak, the latter having netted his first league goal shortly beforehand.
Still, Slot made clear that Liverpool are far from meeting expectations.
“We are not where we want to be, that is obvious. But compared to the 3-0 and 4-1 defeats, there are areas where we have improved.”
With the table still tight, Slot believes a top-four finish remains a realistic immediate objective.
“It gets tougher every season—every club has money now, and the margins are small. But returning to the top four is our first aim.”
Liverpool may be under pressure, but Slot sees signs of stability returning—incremental steps he hopes will restore momentum before the season slips further from reach.
