Arne Slot is not buying into the talk of Liverpool having a strong hold on the title after just 12 games, using Arsenal‘s collapse as a prime example after opening an eight-point gap.
Liverpool may have a new man at the helm but the club’s flair for the dramatics remains, with the 3-2 win at Southampton full of twists.
With Man City losing to Tottenham on Saturday, a chance to open up an eight-point gap at the top was on everyone’s minds, and the Reds delivered despite a few scares.
As is the case with the English media, they will be quick to hype up Slot’s side despite 26 games still to play – and the Reds boss is rightly keeping level-headed.
Speaking to the press after Sunday’s win, Slot was asked about tempering expectations as the early leaders, and he used Arsenal as a warning.
He said: “We know what we have to put into it to get this lead that we have at the moment and to get these wins.
“There were maybe one or two games for us that were wins by a big margin, but the rest were all by a small margin.
“We know how difficult it is to win a game and these players have been longer in the Premier League than I’ve been.
“But, I think, it was last season – even later on in the season – that Arsenal led by eight points and City came back.
“You know if you face Arsenal, City, Chelsea and all these other teams – Tottenham were great (vs. City) – they are all able to win so many games in a row.
“It’s nice to have this position but we are definitely not getting carried away.”
The title race was a lot closer last season but in 2022/23, Arsenal had an eight-point lead over City in mid-January but then went on a run of three games without a win to lose out on the title by five points.
The Gunners also held top spot last season with 36 games played but went on to finish behind Pep Guardiola’s side, so you can see why Slot is not eager to make any outlandish statements!
The 3-2 victory is the seventh time Slot’s side have won by a one-goal margin this season and the 16th win across all competitions. A strong start, nothing is won in November.
Southampton 2-3 Liverpool
