NewsArne Slot press conference: Squad fitness update, Fulham preview and more

Having begun 2026 with a home draw versus Leeds United on Thursday evening, Liverpool travel to Craven Cottage for a 3pm GMT kick-off on Sunday.

See everything head coach Slot had to say to reporters ahead of the Premier League meeting with Marco Silva's men below.

On his assessment of the season so far at the halfway stage...

Realistically, I think there are two teams – by the way, with [Aston] Villa being really close to them but because Arsenal won against Villa they created a bit of a gap towards Villa as well – realistically those two teams are quite far away from us and we should not look at those two at this moment in time. We've had our struggles throughout. We started really well in terms of results, [the] games were really close. Then we had a phase of the season where the games were still really close but we were constantly unlucky. Now I think we are seven or eight games in a row unbeaten, but if you say this you feel like, 'They are flying through the league' but that is not what we are doing.

Every single game we play it is hard work, it is two teams quite close to each other. We are mainly the team that are probably better than the other team but not enough; we are constantly within this 20 per cent difference and if you are inside this 20 per cent difference then going to the floor or not means a lot for the result. I will keep pushing and the players will keep pushing to get to a situation where we are more than that 20 per cent, we can make the difference bigger and then hopefully we are finding a moment when we can fly through the season. But for the first 19 games it has been constantly a battle, close to each other, sometimes a bit lucky, sometimes a bit unlucky season.

On Leeds being his first 0-0 draw as Liverpool boss...

Ah, OK. It is not a nice thing to hear, but I think it is clear and obvious we hardly conceded chances anymore at this moment in time against the opponents we had in the last seven or eight games. But for me, it is also clear and obvious we find it quite hard to generate enough chances for all the ball possession we have and that's not new for us this season. What the players try to do is they just keep on trying, they bring the ball towards the wingers, they make inside runs, they play and move and they do all the kind of things, but sometimes you need a bit of magic to unlock a game or a set-piece. If that then happens then all of a sudden everything looks much nicer, but that is not our season until now.

On what kind of game he expects against Fulham...

I expect a different game against Fulham because their manager and when we've played them and what I've seen from them, and they play a home game, so I think they will try to attack a lot and want to have the ball a lot. At least that is how I know their manager, so it probably will be a much more open game and so then we have to show in games like that we don't concede a lot as well. Maybe, maybe it will help us create more chances as well, but it's a difficult one because last time I went there we lost against a good Fulham team. They had a draw against [Crystal] Palace [on Thursday]. I expect a different game, but let's see. I don't expect five defenders but I didn't expect five defenders [against Leeds] as well, but they did.

On whether he feels being fourth in the table at the halfway point is a fair reflection of Liverpool's season so far...

Yes, yes. Although the margins are small. I've said a few things already in this press conference, so that could have influenced us having three, four, five, six points more maybe. Like [against Leeds] and like so many other games, if we would have done a bit better in set-pieces then we would have had five, six, seven points more as well, so that could have changed it a little bit. But from open play, from where we are if I look at Arsenal, look at [Manchester] City and look at us, I think it's fair we are not above them. That we are many points behind them, there are reasons for that, which I just explained. But it wouldn't have been fair if we were above them for the way we've played.

On the departure of Aaron Briggs from the coaching staff...

First of all, I want to thank him for the one-and-a-half years we worked together. He was a part – and a big part – of us winning the league last season. He has been a big help to me. He is a very good human being, a very promising young English coach, but as things sometimes happen in January or in June, both go either way and that is what happened over here as well. He will definitely find a new challenge for himself because he did a good job with us, he is a very good human being and a very promising young English coach, so he should deserve to get multiple chances again.

On whether Briggs will be replaced...

I think it would be a surprise to you if I never talk about players we bring in that I would start talking to you about names in terms of coaches we could bring in. Of course, we are looking at the situation and what is best for us now, but as long as I have no news about that I cannot share anything about it.

On the latest on Wataru Endo and Joe Gomez's fitness...

I expect Joe to train with us [on Friday] and Wata not yet. Again, I think to see we had four players on the bench [against Leeds] that haven't played any minutes in the Premier League and these players just keep going with so many games to go. So, if anyone was like, 'Why does he take Florian [Wirtz] off?' for example, two days after the [Wolves] game he felt his hamstring still too much. That's why he couldn't train, he only trained [on Wednesday]. With all games coming up, for me it was too much of a risk if you don't have so many players available with Premier League experience – and, of course, Cody [Gakpo] is a good replacement to bring in.

These are all the things I, we have to take into account to keep players available with at least some Premier League experience for the schedule we are going in – and not only going in, we have already had now two months of non-stop football and most of them [even] six or seven months of non-stop playing football. Everyone stayed fit [against Leeds], positive. A clean sheet. If I have to take something positive from the game then [it is] those two things – and Ibou [Konate] didn't get a yellow so he is not suspended.