Arne Slot admits fourth place is fair as Liverpool grind through title defence

Arne Slot has delivered a candid assessment of Liverpool’s Premier League title defence, admitting that fourth place is a fair reflection of their season so far and conceding that his side are not currently at the level of the league’s leading contenders.

The defending champions extended their unbeaten run to eight games with a goalless draw against Leeds United on New Year’s Day, but the result was widely viewed as a missed opportunity at Anfield. Liverpool failed to capitalise on dropped points elsewhere and registered their first 0-0 draw since December 2023.

Speaking after the game, Arne Slot acknowledged that Liverpool’s standing accurately reflects their performances across the first half of the campaign.

“Yes [fourth is fair], although the margins are small,” Slot said. “That could have influenced us having three, four, five, six more points, maybe.

“But when I look at Arsenal, I look at Manchester City and I look at us, it’s fair that we are not above them. It wouldn’t be fair if we were, for the way we have played.”

Liverpool remain unbeaten since November, but Slot believes consistency of performance — rather than results alone — explains why they trail the leading pair.

Slot was keen to highlight Liverpool’s defensive improvement, while openly admitting attacking inefficiency remains a recurring problem.

“It is clear and obvious that we hardly concede chances any more,” he said. “But it is also clear and obvious that we find it quite hard to generate enough chances for all the ball possession we have, and that is not new for us this season.”

The Liverpool boss explained that while his players are following instructions and showing commitment, they often lack the decisive moment needed to turn dominance into goals.

“Sometimes you need a kind of magic to unlock a game or a set-piece,” Slot added. “If that happens then all of a sudden everything looks much nicer, but that has not been our season until now.”

Slot also pushed back against any suggestion that Liverpool are cruising during their unbeaten run, insisting the margins in most matches remain extremely fine.

“Every single game we play it’s hard work,” he said. “It’s two teams quite close to each other. We are mainly the team that is probably better than the other team, but not enough.

“We are constantly within this 20% difference, and if you are inside this 20% difference then small things mean a lot for the results.”

That narrow gap, Slot believes, explains Liverpool’s inability to pull clear of rivals despite controlling large portions of games.

Slot was clear that his attention is not currently on chasing down the league’s frontrunners, suggesting the gap to Arsenal and City — with Aston Villa also close behind — is justified.

“Realistically I think there are two teams,” Slot said. “Villa are really close, but those two teams are quite far away from us and we should not look at those two at this moment in time.”

Instead, the Liverpool head coach stressed that improvement must come incrementally.

“I will keep pushing and the players will keep pushing to get to a situation where we are more than that 20% better,” he said. “Hopefully we can find a moment where we can fly through the season.”

Liverpool head into the second half of the season focused on tightening attacking output rather than chasing an immediate title surge. Slot’s priority is turning control into clear superiority as the margins begin to define their campaign.

Do Liverpool need tactical tweaks in attack — or is patience the key as Arne Slot continues to shape his title defence?