Liverpool FC manager Arne Slot has insisted that expectations at the club remain high as he looks to salvage the season by chasing success in the FA Cup and the Champions League after a disappointing league campaign.
Liverpool will host Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday, almost a year after the last time Spurs visited the ground, a match that ended with Liverpool clinching the Premier League title.
However, this season has been far more challenging for the Merseyside club. Despite spending nearly £450 million to strengthen the squad, Liverpool currently sit sixth in the league table, trailing leaders Arsenal FC by 19 points.
The Reds also suffered a 1–0 defeat to Galatasaray in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 clash earlier in the week. They also face a difficult FA Cup quarter-final trip to Manchester City FC.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash, Slot admitted the situation is very different compared to last season but stressed that the standards at Liverpool remain unchanged.
According to him, the club’s expectations have always been high and will continue to be so because Liverpool is one of the biggest teams in football.
He acknowledged that the team can no longer compete for the league title this season but pointed out that they are still in contention in two major competitions, the Champions League and the FA Cup.
Slot also hinted that goalkeeper Alisson Becker could return to action against Tottenham after missing the midweek trip to Istanbul due to a minor muscle injury.
However, the manager confirmed that club-record signing Alexander Isak remains sidelined and is still far from returning after suffering a fractured fibula in December.
Liverpool are currently level on points with Chelsea FC in fifth place and three points behind both Manchester United FC and Aston Villa FC, who are scheduled to face each other at Old Trafford this weekend.
For Tottenham, the pressure is even greater. The North London side are just one point above the relegation zone and have lost their last six matches in all competitions, the worst run in the club’s history.
Interim manager Igor Tudor is expected to remain in charge as Spurs travel to Anfield in search of a much-needed turnaround.
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