NewsArne Slot's Liverpool v Fulham programme notes

After a Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in midweek in the first leg of their quarter-final, the Reds return to Premier League duty.

Head coach Slot says: “It is clear and obvious that for us this is a phase of the season which not only includes a number of challenging games in a short space of time, it is also one that will go a long way towards determining whether or not we can fulfil our remaining objectives.

“While I would be the first to admit that the season has not been the one we wanted, it still offers us opportunities – if we can take them.

“We know exactly what is still on offer to us and we also know how much effort we will have to put in and how well we will need to perform if we are to finish as strongly as we would like to.

“Today this means taking on a Fulham team who have their own objectives and who will come to Anfield looking to make things as difficult for us as always.

“I am sure that no-one will need to be reminded of the last time we faced Fulham in the Premier League because that was a day when we showed so much character and quality to put ourselves within touching distance of a vital win only for it to be snatched away from us in the very last seconds.

“This is credit to them, of course, and it was also typical of the way Marco Silva’s team play because they always give us a proper test and, as that occasion showed, they are the kind of opponent who will look to push you all the way.

“For us, though, that game should give us another incentive to go one step further today and we can do this if we use that disappointment and the knowledge of how it came about as an incentive.

“We also have to do something even more important and that is to not be distracted in any way, shape or form by the fact that we have another vital fixture coming in three days’ time.

“The second leg against Paris Saint-Germain can wait. It would serve us no purpose to think about it now or even to look back too much on what happened in the first leg.

“This is the Premier League – a totally different competition – and if we are to give ourselves the best possible chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League, we have to give it our full attention and not get involved in thinking about what else is on the horizon.

“This is why we constantly tell ourselves that it is always about taking one game at a time. Any other approach would be a mistake, particularly when each match we play has so much riding on it, as is true of this stage of the season.

“We also owe it to our supporters to give this game and nothing else our full attention, particularly after the disappointing results we have had lately.

“I know a lot was said about some of our fans choosing to leave early at Manchester City last weekend, but I always say it is up to us to perform in a way that keeps them involved. Doing that is key in every game we play and this is something that is even more true at Anfield, where our supporters can – and so often do – make such a massive difference.

“On this note, I would like to thank our fans who travelled to Paris in midweek for the backing they gave us. When I went to the side of the pitch during our warm-up the first song I heard from the away end was ‘We love you Liverpool, we do.’

“This said everything to me, particularly after the disappointment of our performance and result at City.

“So the onus is on us to perform for you. This has been easier said than done so far this season of course, but hopefully today we can do what is required before moving on to the next challenge.”

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