News'A proper fight' - Arne Slot's pre-Arsenal press conference Q&A

The head coach sat down with reporters at the AXA Training Centre this morning to discuss the reigning champions' clash with the current leaders.

See a summary of Slot's comments below...

On 'what moment he feels Liverpool are in' after nine games unbeaten but drawing the last two...

Yeah, it's nine games unbeaten where we've had definitely two draws too many. I'm thinking about the Leeds away game and this game [against Fulham] in terms of the moment we conceded a goal. Yeah, where are we? I think I've said many times the answer to that question: we're not there where we want to [be] but I feel we have a very talented squad and if everyone is available and if everyone is ready then I think we can do special things. And I also think we have shown that this season with quite a lot of impressive wins, but we've also shown that we've had 'impressive' draws or 'impressive' losses - in a negative way I mean that. We haven't had the consistency but we did beat very good teams already this season, so that tells you that the talent is definitely there. But the consistency, unfortunately, hasn't been there this season.

• Hugo Ekitike injury update

On the importance he places on Thursday's match...

A lot of importance because we still have a lot to play for in the Premier League. But we're also in the FA Cup, which makes sense because we haven't played there yet, and in the Champions League. These are knockout games and these are games where you can face teams like Arsenal, so also for that reason it is an important game for us to see where we are in a one-off game, to see where we are against a very, very good Arsenal. They've been for years very good and this season probably even better than the years before.

On what he considers to be Arsenal's main strengths...

Maybe their main strength is they have so many strengths. Or their main strength is they hardly have something that is weak. So, they hardly concede goals. They can score from open play, they can score from set-pieces, very good ideas about build-up, can play a long ball. They have the complete package and for that reason they, in my opinion, deserve to be on top this season.

On how much belief a win in this game would give to the Reds...

Of course that would mean a lot, because if you win those games that tells you that you can compete in the latter stages of the FA Cup and the Champions League with any other team as well. I think we've shown already that we can do this because we've beaten, for example, Arsenal at home and I can come up with many other games that we've won against very strong teams. But we also know that it's going to be a special game for them as well.

We have to be completely ready because as well they are in a very positive vibe at the moment and it's obvious that we aren't, especially because we've conceded again a late goal. But I think everyone, me for sure, is looking forward to this game because it's always nice to be part of a Liverpool game but especially if you face Real Madrid or Arsenal or [Manchester] City or these kinds of games. So, we're definitely looking forward to going there tomorrow.

On whether it could still be a 'special' season for the club...

Yes, of course. I think this club has shown so many times when the club didn't have the greatest form in the league that they were able to win another trophy. And other clubs have shown this recently as well that it's always possible. Because we have a very good and talented group and we've shown this season - Inter Milan away, Real Madrid at home, Atletico Madrid at home, Aston Villa who won maybe 18 from their last 20 games, only lost two, one against us, one against Arsenal, we've beaten Arsenal at home - so yes, we've shown that we can compete with almost every team.

Maybe there was one exception, but that was also because there was a goal disallowed from us just before half-time that shouldn't have been disallowed, that was City away. But in all the other games we've been competitive with everyone, but we haven't had consistency against the clubs where we 'usually' win, that led to the fact we are now 14 points behind Arsenal. Another challenge for us, with of course players being out but still enough very good players available to go to Arsenal and make it a proper fight.

On what he can take from the victory over Arsenal at Anfield earlier in the season...

You definitely look at that game as well but that's not the only thing we are looking at. There are recent games as well. That was the start of the season where both teams brought in new players, so I think defensively we did really well [in] that game. You need to do defensively really well in every top game to even have a chance to win it. Of course, it's different if you play at Anfield because the fans are such a big help for us. But now our away fans will probably be a big help for us as well.

We do watch that game but - I don't know - I think Arsenal will probably play a few others than they did back then. Their whole way of playing under Mikel [Arteta] has been so much the same and every time he adds something new, but we can expect probably a similar team and way of playing, let's put it that way. But they play at home [and] I think their fans will really be up for it. It's probably in the last five or 10 years one of the best times to be an Arsenal fan. They're top of the league, they have an incredible team, incredible manager. I assume they look forward to the game tomorrow, but we are looking forward to that as well.

On whether it is 'frustrating' Liverpool have had better performances against 'bigger' teams this season...

It is annoying because usually you think it's harder to play against the best teams in the world or in the country than to play against teams that are not competing for a league title or not involved in the Champions League. There's definitely a reason why it is, because I think in the last nine games I think people have liked our two games against Villa and Brighton more than all the other games we've played. I can exactly tell you why that is but if I do so people will tell me, 'How can you make your opponents so much wiser?' We have to find a way of playing that same style of football against other styles of play as well. But we haven't found that answer enough yet. But 'yet' is an important thing to add.

On whether he believes his team will be able to find 'consistency'...

We should definitely be able to find that consistency and also play games that are more [of] a joy to watch against teams that have a different approach against us than Brighton and Villa have. Therefore we need as much players available as we can and keep working very hard to find openings and find the right ideas to hurt those teams as well. Against Fulham I don't think many people thought it was a joy to watch, and I've said many times that I found our games against Paris Saint-Germain a joy to watch. So then compare maybe these two games with each other and then ask yourself why is one game a joy to watch and the other is harder to watch?

When people tell me we always need an extra pass, extra pass, but the first goal we scored against Fulham was only one pass. These players do know that if we need one pass or we can use one pass to score a goal then we try to. The second goal we scored it was 17 passes we needed before we could bring a cross in and sometimes that means if you win the ball back low on the pitch then the other team goes in the low block, it's harder to get through it in one pass, which we did in the first goal because we won the ball back high up the pitch.

On what he makes of views that Liverpool's style of play has been 'dull and boring' recently…

I find it really hard to hear but it's not that I completely disagree. I would use different words and I would take certain things into account. So, I want to win as much trophies as I can but I think I am also known for the fact that my teams always try to play attacking football and I can only say that we are still trying to do so. But having a lot of ball possession, I have said this many times, that does mean you try to play attacking football because you try to win the ball as soon as you can and when you have it you try to create something, but we are struggling to create a lot of chances.

But I've said many times we are not the only team that struggles to create a lot of chances. I don't think the chances we create are so much different to other teams in the league that are doing really well, but I don't like to hear this of course. But if there's one thing I would like is us winning a lot of games and also us playing an attractive style of football, which I think we've also done this season. We have to find a way against teams that try to make it not an attractive game, which is maybe even smart for them to do. We have to find answers to that and that's something we haven't found enough yet, but we are working on that every single day to improve that.

On whether he sees sufficient depth and talent in the squad or if reinforcements are needed in the January transfer window…

First of all, I'm really happy with the squad we are having. All the decisions that are made last summer and the summer before and all these things are completely aligned with me and Richard [Hughes] and ownership. So, I think it has shown this season how talented this group is and if everyone is available how good of a team we can be. There's nothing, nothing, nothing positive from players being injured but maybe, maybe if I could think about - not that it is positive - but the narrative that has always been there that we've spent so much money in the summer and every time when I try to say, 'No, we replaced and spent a little bit more than came in,' no-one wanted to hear it.

But maybe now for the first time since we've only had two or three injuries people do see now that we 'only' replaced very good players. So even last game and also the games before, I could impact the game off the bench, because Jeremie Frimpong again came in and gave an assist and the players that are starting are incredible football players. So, this club is in a very good place if everyone is available, and we are getting stronger and stronger, then this club is in a really good place for the short future but definitely also for the mid- to long-term future.

On whether he is comfortable with the number of centre-back options he has…

Joe [Gomez], he is back now so that's already a big help. But I think there is no manager in the world that would tell you, 'I am completely happy that I only have two centre-backs available,' but you have to look at the bigger picture and the bigger picture is that we've signed an unbelievably talented player in Giovanni Leoni who will be back next season. This is the way this club works and as much has been said about our spending last summer, it's not that there is no limitation on us spending, so we have to do smart things and this club has always tried to do smart things to keep up with the teams we want to compete with.

That's not any difference now. But in an ideal world you have more than two centre-backs available but sometimes things can work out in a way that it has happened now. I don't think that's for the first time. I know from a period of time that Jürgen [Klopp] also had a few problems at centre-back and he played players there that were either midfielders or [players like] Nat Phillips, he played a lot. So that has been Liverpool for all these years and that has not changed.