Liverpool manager Arne Slot elaborated on the positive aspects of his team's defensive play observed in their last two matches – a victory over West Ham and a draw with Sunderland. He also announced the good news that Conor Bradley is returning to the champions' squad for tomorrow's away game against Leeds.
"Have we made strides forward? Four points from two games is a different story from two losses in our last two home matches, where we conceded seven goals. A single deflection separated us from recording two consecutive clean sheets. West Ham didn't score from their only real chance. Sunderland also didn't, but their goal wasn't a result of a clear-cut opportunity. So, that's a step forward. We also didn't concede from set-pieces, which is perhaps crucial for achieving these results."
We've seen confidence from the players we brought in over the summer. This is most evident with Florian Wirtz, but it also applies to Kerkez. Isak, meanwhile, scored his first goal. So, there are positives for us, but we're still not where we want to be."
Our primary goal is to get back into the top four. Obviously, we're not happy with our current position," Slot stated at the beginning of his press conference today.
Asked if Salah is in his plans for the starting lineup against Leeds, the Dutchman replied: "Every player is in my plans to be a starter because we have so many good footballers. Mo is an exceptional player for us. He's always in my thoughts for matches, whether he starts or comes on later. His impact on this club over the last six or seven years has been immense."
"Yesterday, I watched Leeds' match against Chelsea, and it was almost like watching a Liverpool game – Chelsea conceded from a set-piece, followed by a big mistake. Leeds played very aggressively one-on-one and then dropped into a very low block to prevent chances. We saw how they came back from two goals down against Manchester City. Foden made the difference there with a moment of magic. Against Chelsea, they were very strong," Slot commented on tomorrow's opponent, Leeds.
"Joe Gomez took a slight knock in the West Ham game but started against Sunderland. He will train today. Conor Bradley has been training all week, so he will be in the squad for tomorrow," Slot added regarding team news.