Liverpool head coach Arne Slot held a press conference on Friday ahead of his side’s Premier League clash with AFC Bournemouth. The Reds boss fielded questions from reporters at the AXA Training Centre, discussing the upcoming match at Anfield, set for a 3 pm BST kick-off on Saturday.
Slot addressed various topics, including the squad’s recovery from their Champions League win against AC Milan and the team’s response to last weekend’s surprising defeat to Nottingham Forest.
On whether fatigue played a role in the Nottingham Forest loss:
Slot downplayed tiredness as a factor, saying, “I don’t think that was the main issue. Just a few days later, we played Milan, and the players still performed strongly. Credit goes to Nottingham Forest—they made it really difficult for us, and the challenge is always the resistance from your opponent, not the number of games or other external factors.”
On Darwin Nunez and what he needs to show:
Slot highlighted that Nunez’s path to earning opportunities is similar to that of other players. “Work hard, and the goals will follow. He contributed well when he came on against AC Milan. Attackers like Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, and Mohamed Salah also started with hard work, and the goals or assists come as a result. It’s the same for Darwin. He’ll get his chance soon, as we have many games, and he’s improving every day in understanding our expectations.”
On Nunez’s confidence:
The head coach dismissed any concerns about Nunez’s confidence, pointing to his success in the Copa America. “Darwin returned full of confidence after scoring some great goals. Strikers may have spells without goals, but eventually, they find the net again. His work rate for the team is key, and with enough chances, he, Diogo Jota, or others will score.”
On expectations from Bournemouth:
Slot praised Bournemouth’s resilience, especially recalling their recent comeback win. “They started well, especially in the match against our neighbors, where they turned a 2-0 deficit into a victory. Andoni Iraola has done a great job there, playing attractive football and developing players. We expect a tough challenge from them tomorrow.”
On memories of coaching Luis Sinisterra and Marcos Senesi:
Slot had fond memories of working with Sinisterra and Senesi during their time at Feyenoord. “We had a great season, reaching the Conference League final, with both players being instrumental. Sinisterra is excellent in one-on-one situations, while Senesi had a huge impact defensively. The only bad memory from that season was losing the final.”
On Bournemouth’s qualities:
Slot noted that Bournemouth were aggressive last season at Anfield and posed problems for Liverpool with their high press. “They made it hard for us to play forward, even scoring from a high press after taking the ball off Trent Alexander-Arnold. That’s their style, and it’s what we expect again tomorrow.”
On working with sporting director Richard Hughes:
Slot said his relationship with Hughes has been positive and has only grown over time. “He knew my football philosophy well, and that was one of the reasons I wanted to join Liverpool. We’re building a great working relationship.”
On the impact of the AC Milan win:
Slot believes the Milan victory showed that his squad is absorbing his ideas. “Apart from the Nottingham Forest game, I think we’ve shown our quality in most matches. The AC Milan game was not just about bouncing back—it was also a chance to prove ourselves after some struggles in Europe over the past two seasons. We’re setting high standards, and the win at San Siro was a good step forward.”
On learning lessons from the Forest defeat:
Slot emphasized that there were multiple areas to improve from the Forest match. “We had 70% possession around their box but didn’t create enough. Reflecting on what we can do better, if every player improves by just 5%, it will make a big difference, along with better positioning and more decisive runs.”
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