Slot still doesn’t know if he will be able to use Ekiti against Arsenal, explained why the match at the Emirates is so important

Liverpool manager Arne Slot spoke ahead of his team’s visit to Premier League leaders Arsenal tomorrow. The champions defeated the Gunners earlier in the season at Anfield, but now the match is very important for the second half of the season, according to the Dutchman. He still does not know whether he will be able to use Hugo Ekitike, who has not trained with the team so far after missing the match against Fulham.

“Yugo has not trained with us yet. Let’s see if he can do it today. Two or three days ago, I said he wouldn’t be out for long, but the matches are coming too quickly. He is either ready to return to the team or needs another day or two.

We may be on a nine-game unbeaten run, but the last two draws against Leeds and Fulham were too much for us. We’re not where we want to be, but we have a talented team and if everyone is available, we can achieve special things. We’ve shown that with some impressive wins, but we’ve also had draws and losses that have had a negative impact. Consistency has been lacking this season.

The match against Arsenal is very important. There is a lot to play for in the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. In tournaments, there are knockout matches where you could face teams like Arsenal. For this reason, it is important to see where we stand in a match against a very good Arsenal team. They are even better than they were in previous years.

Arsenal’s strengths? They have so many, and perhaps that is their greatest strength. They have no particular weaknesses, they hardly concede any goals, they play openly, they are strong in set pieces, they build their attacks well, and they are also strong with long balls. They have the full package, which is why they deserve to be at the top.

A potential victory against Arsenal would mean a lot. It would show that we can compete with any team in the later stages of the season. We have already beaten Arsenal at home. We have beaten other strong teams, but we also know that this is a special game for them. We have to be ready. I think everyone is looking forward to this match. It’s always nice to play in such clashes – against Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid…

Can this season still be special? Of course. This club has shown so many times that even when it is not at its best in the league, it can still win trophies,” said the Dutchman.

Slot predictably sidestepped questions about Mark Gay and the possible return of Harvey Elliott:

“You know I don’t talk about transfers publicly. We don’t talk about players who aren’t ours. Elliot? If you want to ask about an Aston Villa player, ask Unai Emery. Liverpool has no option to bring the player back.

First of all, I am happy with the squad we have, it is in line with what I, Richard Hughes, and the management want. This group is talented, if everyone is available. If we go back to the narrative about how much we spent over the summer… I said before that we replaced a lot of players and spent a little more than we received. No one wanted to hear it, but maybe now, for the first time, people are seeing that we replaced a lot of very good players.

Am I satisfied with the options in defense? Joe Gomez is back, so that will be a big help. No coach in the world will tell you they are satisfied with only two center backs. However, we also have Leonie, who is an incredible talent and will return next season. No matter how much is said about spending, there are limitations. This club has always tried to do smart things. In an ideal world, you have more than two center backs, but you have to accept this situation. I know that Jürgen Klopp also had problems there and sometimes played with midfielders. Nat Phillips also played a lot. That’s Liverpool through all these years.”