After two unexpected setbacks in a row, Liverpool want to get back on track against Wolverhampton. Special attention will be paid to Matheus Cunha, at least if LFC coach Arne Slot has his way.
Is Liverpool, so stoic and confident so far this season, losing their way ahead of the decisive phase of the season? The Reds gave that impression with three games without a win out of the last five competitive games.
But not for head coach Arne Slot. The Dutchman saw his team “mentally very, very strong” and “much stronger than in the previous season” in the 2-2 Merseyside derby against Everton – back then still under Jürgen Klopp. “Right after the final whistle, I felt like we lost two points. But during the 98 minutes, I didn’t constantly feel that we were going to win the game,” he admitted frankly at Friday’s pre-match press conference.
Despite the point loss, he said his team had ‘won a lot’ against the Toffees. What Slot was talking about: ”I mean the cohesion of the fans and the players – and how hard we fought together to achieve the result.”
He said that the fighting spirit he saw in the team was a “completely different side” to what he has experienced in the past. “In my opinion, it was much better than the year before. That gives me a lot of confidence for the next 14 Premier League games.” In which they now have a seven-point lead to defend.
Preferably with a win against Wolves on Sunday. Slot singles out one player for whom he draws a comparison with a special Eredivisie case: “If you look at the Dutch league and see the team in 17th place, there is no player who could play for Ajax, PSV or Feyenoord.”
It’s different at Wolverhampton. “Matheus Cunha is a quality player who has what it takes to play for one of the top five teams in England,” says Slot about the former Leipzig and Hertha player: “That’s why it’s much more difficult to win a game against 17th in England. So it will be a tough game on Sunday too.”
“I would have liked to have done it differently”
Meanwhile, the personnel situation looks good. Besides the expected absences of Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton, only Cody Gakpo is in doubt after being substituted in the Everton game.
Slot is more concerned with his sending off last Wednesday, when “emotions got the better of him” after the final whistle. “It’s an ongoing process and we have to respect that. So I can’t go into the details,” said the LFC coach, who should add, however: ‘I would have liked to have done it differently if I could go back in time. I hope I can do it differently next time.’
