Liverpool manager Arne Slot has expressed cautious optimism following his team's back-to-back victories, emphasizing that their forthcoming Premier League clash away to Manchester City this Sunday, November 9, 2025, represents a significantly higher challenge. While Slot is pleased with the recent return to form, he stressed that the team's primary goal remains achieving consistent performance across the board.
Bounce Back Not A Surprise, But Consistency Is Key
Liverpool faced a difficult spell prior to their resurgence, enduring a slump where they lost six of seven games across all competitions. However, recent clean-sheet victories against Aston Villa and Real Madrid have revitalized the mood at Anfield.
Slot revealed to reporters on Friday that the recovery didn't shock him, but he noted the irony of their earlier troubles. "Our main focus is on consistency at the moment, as you know we've lost a few games, much more than we usually do. We were consistent, but we were consistently losing. That wasn't the idea," Slot light-heartedly remarked.
He maintained that the turnaround was expected, partly because their recent opponents played predictable styles. "It wasn't a surprise for me how the last two games went. It was helpful that the other team did what we expected them to do," he explained. Crucially, Slot added a warning: "But there is still a lot of work to do to get more performances like that."
Tactical Shifts Yielding Results
A significant factor in Liverpool's improved performances has been a tactical repositioning in the midfield. Manager Slot's decision to move Florian Wirtz out of the central number 10 role and utilize Dominik Szoboszlai in a deeper midfield position has paid clear dividends.
Slot praised Szoboszlai, whose versatility has been instrumental in covering for injury gaps throughout the season. "Dom has been outstanding for us the whole season but these two games brought more out of the team and him," Slot said, specifically highlighting Szoboszlai's high-standard work rate without the ball.
Regarding Wirtz, Slot confirmed the German international is comfortable playing in multiple attacking positions, noting his success off the left wing during his time at Bayer Leverkusen. Slot wants Wirtz positioned centrally or slightly wide to maximize his creative output: "We would like to have him in and around the 18-yard box... for him to create the amount of chances he's created for us."
The Guardiola Challenge and Team News
Looking ahead to the colossal match, which pits third-placed Liverpool (18 points) against second-placed Manchester City (19 points)-both trailing league leaders Arsenal (25 points)-Slot focused solely on the immediate opposition rather than the league table.
He expressed enthusiasm for facing Pep Guardiola's side, known for their attacking style. "These are the games everyone looks forward to... It's always worth watching because so many great individuals are playing that game," Slot stated. He reserved special praise for Guardiola’s tactical purity: "What I like about Pep Guardiola's teams is, 10 out of 10 times, you get what you're hoping for - a great game of football with no time-wasting, no things that I dislike about football."
In terms of fitness, Slot provided updates on several injured players:
Alexander Isak is expected to return to training on Friday after a three-week absence due to a groin injury.
Goalkeeper Alisson and defender Jeremie Frimpong are both projected to return only after the upcoming international break.
Source: Press conference statements by Liverpool Manager Arne Slot (November 7, 2025).