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Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Premier League game against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium (kick-off 20:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
- Hugo Ekitike remains doubtful for the game. He is not expected to be "out for long" but is "in between" training with the team and having extra rest.
- Slot said Liverpool have had "two draws too many" in their current unbeaten run and, despite not being where they want to be right now, he insisted they can do "special things" once the squad is fully fit: "I think we've also shown that this season because we've got quite a lot of impressive wins. But we've also had impressive draws and losses – in the negative way."
- He still believes his team can have a special season because others have shown it is possible to win other trophies even when league form is not the greatest.
- On some fans calling his style of play "dull and boring": "I find it really hard to hear, but it isn't that I completely disagree with them. I would use different words and I would take certain things into account. I want to win as many trophies as I can, but I think I'm also known for the fact that my teams always try to play attacking football. I can only say that we are still trying to do so."
- He added: "One thing I would like is to win a lot of games, but also play attractive football and I think we have this season. We need to find ways to play against teams who don't play that attractive football. We need to find answers and haven't found enough yet."
- Slot said his team's inconsistency is "annoying" but reiterated there is "definitely a reason for it". He did not elaborate on why, saying people would "tell me I'm making our opponents wiser".
- Slot acknowledged opponents Arsenal "deserve to be on top this season". He was asked what beating them would do for Liverpool's belief: "It would mean a lot because if you win games like these, it tells you that you can compete in the latter stages of the FA Cup and the Champions League. We've shown that we can do this already because we have already beaten Arsenal at home, and I can also come up with many other games that we've won against many other strong teams."
- Finally, on Liverpool's interest in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi and the future of Harvey Elliott, currently on loan at Aston Villa, Slot simply insisted he “does not talk about players that are not ours”.
Follow all of Wednesday’s Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day’s football news
