Liverpool surged 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a commanding 2-0 victory over Manchester City, yet head coach Arne Slot remains cautious about title talk despite the growing gap.
First-half goals from Mohamed Salah — his 30th of the season — and Dominik Szoboszlai secured Liverpool’s first league win at the Etihad Stadium since November 2015. The result not only strengthened their grip on the title race but also dealt a significant blow to City’s hopes of retaining their crown.
Though second-placed Arsenal have a game in hand, Liverpool’s commanding lead means they would need to lose three of their remaining 11 matches — having suffered just one league defeat all season — to give Mikel Arteta’s side a chance of overtaking them.
Despite jubilant Liverpool fans chanting about winning the league at the final whistle, Slot insisted his squad must stay focused.
“The fans can sing whatever they want, but we know as a team how hard we have to work for every single win,”Slot said. “It is only three days ago someone asked me if we had a dip on Wednesday (after the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa). I don’t believe that, and I’m calm now about this win.”
Slot acknowledged the difficulty of the Premier League, emphasizing that even with a healthy lead, every game presents a challenge.
“In every other league, having a lead like this would be very comfortable — except for this one,” he added. “Every single game gives you a lot of challenges.”
Liverpool’s next test comes on Wednesday when they host Newcastle, with Slot urging his team to stay grounded and keep their eyes on the task at hand.
“You can ask every single question you want, but it is so hard to judge the league table before every single game is played,” Slot said. “We have to keep working hard and take each match as it comes.”
With momentum building and fans daring to dream, Liverpool edge closer to their second Premier League title — but for now, Slot is making sure their feet stay firmly on the ground.
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