Arne Slot admitted on Friday that it is more difficult to motivate his players after already winning the Premier League title. The Liverpool manager was also asked about the interest in Jeremie Frimpong.
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Arne Slot admitted on Friday that maintaining motivation within the Liverpool squad has become a bigger challenge after mathematically securing the Premier League title.
While such a situation is the dream of any manager, Slot was candid in acknowledging that the psychological demands on a team can change once the ultimate domestic goal has been achieved. The Dutchman, who has made a strong impression since his appointment, is now focused on keeping his players engaged during the final stretch of the season.
“I think the honest answer is yes,” Slot responded when asked if it’s harder to get the players mentally ready for the remaining matches. “You could already feel that shift in the build-up to the Arsenal game, but to be fair to the lads, I saw a team that wanted to compete from the first to the last second. The mentality is still strong. That’s what pleases me most.”
Slot emphasized that despite the title being won, the competitive nature of the remaining fixtures demands high standards. “What matters most for us is that we’re playing difficult matches: Chelsea away, Arsenal at home, Brighton away. These are all top-level challenges, so I’m really glad the pressure of the title race is already behind us. It allows us to focus on performance and development without the anxiety of results hanging over our heads.”
The next test for Liverpool is a trip to the south coast, where they’ll face Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday night at 21:00. It will be another opportunity for Slot’s side to extend their remarkable run of away victories they’re currently sitting on eleven consecutive wins on the road in all competitions, and a twelfth would underline their dominance this season.
“That definitely means a lot,” Slot said about the potential record. “We showed the players clips of our away performances earlier this season. It was an honest conversation. We needed to improve if we wanted to be serious contenders, and they responded brilliantly. The improvement in both our home and away form has been crucial. It’s the only way to navigate a league as tough as this one where so many teams are capable of going on a run. You can’t afford to drop intensity just because you’re away from home.”
Beyond domestic pride and records, these final fixtures also serve as a chance for Slot to assess his squad ahead of what is expected to be a busy summer transfer window. However, when asked about the growing speculation linking Liverpool to Bayer Leverkusen's right-back Jeremie Frimpong, the manager refused to be drawn into speculation.
“It’ll be a boring answer,” Slot said with a slight smile. “All season long it was about the contract extensions for three key players, and now the narrative has shifted to which players we’re going to bring in. But the answer hasn’t changed: we don’t speak publicly about potential targets until everything is finalized.”
Still, Slot took the opportunity to praise some of the right-back options already at his disposal. “What I can tell you is that we already have Conor Bradley, who has shown he can play very well in that position. Joe Gomez has also stepped in there on multiple occasions. It’s not like Trent is leaving and we have no idea what to do next. We’ve got depth, and that’s important. Of course, in general, we always look at interesting players who might strengthen the squad, but I’m not going to discuss individual names.”
Slot’s comments seem to indicate that while the door is open for reinforcements especially given Liverpool’s return to the Champions League next season the club won’t be rushed or pressured into revealing their targets prematurely.
With a solid domestic campaign behind them and momentum building toward the summer, all eyes now turn to how Slot will manage the remaining matches. Monday’s clash against Brighton is not just about keeping the winning run alive, but also about testing the hunger and professionalism of a squad that, despite having achieved its biggest goal, still has more to prove.
Updated: 05:03, 16 May 2025
