(Reuters) – League-leading Liverpool can put pressure on the teams chasing them with victory at Crystal Palace in the weekend’s opening game on Saturday, but manager Arne Slot said he and his players are not revelling in their position this early in the season.
Slot’s team have 15 points atop the Premier League table after six games, one ahead of champions Manchester City and Arsenal.
“We’re Liverpool,” Slot told reporters on Friday. “So players here are used to be on top of the table. So would be very weird if a player at Liverpool is all of a sudden with his head in the clouds.
“These players are experienced enough to understand the league table after six games as well, and the schedule we had compared to some other teams. Second of all, (many of them) won the league here, they won the Champions League here.”
Slot has had a superb start as Liverpool manager, leading his team to eight wins in nine games across all competitions. No other Liverpool manager has ever enjoyed such a successful start.
He expects Oliver Glasner’s Palace to be stiff competition, particular because it has been a busy week for Liverpool who beat Bologna 2-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“It’s a difficult one for us, 12:30 kickoff after playing Wednesday evening in the Champions League, facing a team that had the whole week to prepare,” Slot said.
“But that is part of working at a top club that we face those teams and we have to be ready for those teams and that’s what we are (going to do) tomorrow.”
Slot praised both Mohamed Salah, who set up Alexis Mac Allister’s goal and scored himself, and midfielder Ryan Gravenberch for their performances against Bologna.
“Why players play well has first of all to do with the quality they have,” Slot said. “So Mo has a lot of quality. Ryan has a lot of quality. Actually, every player who plays here has a lot of quality.
“It was an unbelievable finish from Mo (a blistering shot into the top corner), but the only reason he got the chance to finish was because Trent Alexander-Arnold made an overlapping run.”
(Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Ed Osmond)
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