Liverpool boss Arne Slot has declared that he doesn’t care whether it is next weekend against Leicester City or beyond that point that his side is confirmed as Premier League champion, with that outcome now an inevitability.
With a 13 point lead over a stuttering Arsenal with six games left, Liverpool could win the title on Easter Sunday if the Gunners lose to Ipswich Town. If Arsenal wins next Saturday at the Emirates Stadium, the Reds would then have to wait another week when they host Spurs.
“I don’t care where we win it,” Slot said in his post-match press conference after beating West Ham. “We know we have to win two more games, which has been difficult on 32 occasions for us.
“First win two and that is the only thing we should focus on. Each week, try to improve more and more to give us a better chance to win a game next week against Leicester.
“Everybody can talk (about Leicester) but what I saw is for the first time in 11 games, Leicester scored two goals and got a result (a draw at Brighton on Saturday). They probably have a bit more confidence going into our game now.
“We have shown in the last 32 games there have only been two or three wins that were quite comfortable. The rest were very, very, very hard work. That is our only focus — winning a game of football.”
Following Virgil van Dijk’s late winner against West Ham, Slot deliberately embraced the atmosphere inside Anfield and stayed on the pitch longer than usual to ensure he thanked the fans for their support. Normally, he heads off earlier, but this time stayed out longer to mark the occasion.
“Also because we won a game of football for the first time season where you could debate if we deserved to win the game,” he said. “To win it with such a big moment where the fans helped us, that’s why I tried to show a bit more why I appreciate them through the whole season but definitely today.”
Liverpool.com says: There are times in title races (if you can even call this one a “race” at this stage) that you have to win ugly. It didn’t look like that was going to be the case in the first half but the second was a different story.
While Slot is still refusing to get ahead of himself, he is going to win the Premier League at the first time of asking. That is a huge achievement and he deserves to relish the moment as much as anyone.
