Arne Slot has been told how his transfer business could hinder Arsenal’s title chances
Arne Slot was given advice on how he could damage Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes despite a 10-point deficit separating the two clubs. Whilst Liverpool are presently on a three-match winning run, most recently defeating Wolves 2-1, they’ve struggled to close sufficient ground on the league leaders.
A title defence continues to appear unlikely given the excellence of Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa who sit within three points of one another. A battle for top four qualification seems more probable for the Reds manager but he has been informed of a method that could undermine the Gunners’ chance to end their title drought whilst strengthening his own squad.
Alongside Virgil van Dijk criticising the “killer” problem that has been hindering his team, the Echo examine the major stories surrounding Anfield before the forthcoming mid-week league matches.
READ MORE: Inside Liverpool set-piece woes and how Anfield chiefs plan to fix Reds’ ‘killer’ problemREAD MORE: Marc Guehi transfer stance made clear after Arne Slot offers Liverpool hint
Damaging Arsenal
Arsenal remain in pole position to claim the Premier League trophy from Liverpool as Mikel Arteta’s team have dominated at the summit of the table for 12 straight weeks. The Spaniard has assembled a well-rounded squad in north London and there’s one player specifically who has stood out as being reliably outstanding – Jurrien Timber.
His defensive prowess, calmness in possession and composure has seen him hailed as one of the globe’s finest in his natural right-back berth. With Liverpool’s inconsistency in that position – neither Conor Bradley nor Jeremie Frimpong having yet established themselves as the club’s clear first choice – Slot has been encouraged to bring in his fellow Dutchman.
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.
That encouragement has arrived from former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock, who told Aceodds: “In the right back position they have Frimpong, Gomez and Bradley. All three are injury prone and they are not robust enough to play week in week out and that is something they have to go away from.
“Liverpool are a better team when they have a proper right back in that position. It balances the team better and allows Szoboszlai to play in the midfield. So, I think signing a right back is equally as important as signing a centre back at the moment.
“In an ideal world I would bring in Jurrien Timber but I don’t think Arsenal would allow that. I think he is the best right back in the league. I think he is brilliant. Someone of that quality who is good in 1v1 situations. Since his ACL injury he has shown his robustness to come back.”
Van Dijk fads
Amongst all the challenges that Liverpool have faced this season, their vulnerability from set-pieces stands out as a prime candidate for being their weakness. The Reds have shipped a joint-highest 12 goals from dead-ball situations in the Premier League, matching Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.
Whilst Slot’s team has shown signs of improvement recently, their vulnerability to corners and free-kicks continues to be a persistent thorn in their side. This weakness surfaced once more during their 2-1 victory against Wolves when Santiago Bueno found the net from a corner.
That came after Richarlison’s strike the previous week which also stemmed from Liverpool’s failure to deal with a corner kick. Van Dijk expressed his frustration at the lack of progress in defending set-pieces, describing the problem as a “killer”.
He said: “There have been plenty of games when we have defended them very well. But the fact is we’ve conceded too many set-piece goals and we don’t score enough. It’s something we have to improve.
“I would say at least 75% of the time or even more, it’s not even about the first contact. It’s the second phase that is the killer. Is it a mental thing? I hope not. If that’s in your head then it’s an issue. Personally, it’s not in my head.”
