Arne Slot warns of challenges ahead as in-form Liverpool prepare for Real clash

Arne Slot admitted it will be a challenge to replicate Liverpool’s stellar Premier League form in Europe as the season progresses, as they prepare to face Champions League holders Real Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday.

Only three times in the Champions League era has an English team won the competition and the domestic league in the same season, though Slot’s side currently lead the way on both fronts.

Sunday’s 3-2 comeback win at Southampton moved them eight points clear of champions Manchester City in the Premier League while they have a perfect record of four victories from four in Europe ahead of the visit of Real.

But Slot warned the nature of the Premier League makes it tough for teams to maintain that kind of consistency – and that fans should not automatically expect his side to match the feat of Manchester United in 1999 and 2008 and City in 2023 by conquering England and Europe.

“This league asks a lot from every player every weekend, and if you then play in Europe then it’s not always easy,” he said.

“There’s only a few teams in England have shown they can do this, and Liverpool have shown it in the past for many seasons. It’s why teams in England have such a big squad.

“You saw (against Southampton), the three players that came in really had an impact on the game and that is also what we need in this league.”

Slot made three changes to the side that beat Aston Villa before the international break, among them  bringing in Dominik Szoboszlai who opened the scoring at St Mary’s with a curling strike that went in off the post.

Conor Bradley and Cody Gakpo also came in and both impressed as the Reds saw off a spirited fightback from the league’s bottom side – who led 2-1 with 25 minutes to go – to open up a commanding lead at the top.

However, Slot was wary of allowing his players to get carried away and pointed to similarly healthy advantages that have been squandered in previous seasons.

“(In 2022/23), Arsenal led by eight points and City came back,” he said. “You know if you face City, Arsenal, Chelsea and these other teams; Tottenham were great (Saturday, beating City 4-0).

“They’re all able to win so many games in a row. It’s nice to have this position but we’re definitely not getting carried away.”

Only twice in the Premier League have teams taken 31 points from their first 12 games and failed to win the title – Newcastle in 1995/96 and Arsenal two seasons ago.

Mikel Arteta’s side suffered a collapse later in that campaign when, having been eight clear at the start of April, they won only three of their final nine games to allow City to overhaul them.

Things turned for the Gunners during a fiery Easter Sunday meeting with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at Anfield when they let a 2-0 lead slip away, the first setback in what became a four-game winless run.