LIVERPOOL, England (AP) 鈥� Liverpool’s season has been . Now coach Arne Slot says the remainder of the campaign will have to be near-faultless if the defending champion is to secure Champions League qualification.
It says everything about Liverpool’s ever-worsening title defense that Slot is focusing on a top-four finish with 13 rounds still to play.
But was the Merseysiders’ eighth defeat in the league this season and left them 17 points adrift of first-place Arsenal.
Liverpool is still in the Champions League and the FA Cup, so there is a lot yet to play for. But in the Premier League, at least, Slot, who in his debut season last year, has had to lower his sights.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s game at Sunderland, Slot said his team had to be 鈥渃lose to perfection鈥� to secure a place in next season’s Champions League.
The top four places qualify for European club soccer’s elite competition. England is likely to receive a fifth spot because of the performances of English teams in Europe this season.
Liverpool is sixth 鈥� five points behind Manchester United in fourth 鈥� and four back from fifth-place Chelsea.
鈥淪o to close the gap of four or five points towards the number three, four or five that means you have to win a lot,鈥� Slot said Tuesday. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 not what we鈥檝e done this season a lot, so that鈥檚 why that has to be better and we have to come close to perfection.
鈥淚f we don鈥檛 have Champions League football it has definitely not been an acceptable season.鈥�
Liverpool has won one of its last seven Premier League games and Slot said it was the most challenging season he has had as a coach.
鈥淭he players are not used to losing a lot or having a lot of draws. I鈥檓 not used to that as well,鈥� he said. “It鈥檚 always more of a challenge after you lose a game of football to get them going again than after a win (and) telling them we were not as good as they might think they were.
鈥淪o, yes, this season has been more challenging for me as well, but you also take nice things out of it, weird (as) that may sound because I also look at how much improvement we are making.鈥�
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