Arne Slot gives strong response to Michael Owen and Liverpool doubters - 'there is your answer'

Arne Slot and Michael Owen

Arne Slot has laughed off the theory his Liverpool side will have underachieved this season, even if they win the title, insisting:

Slot

“If you can win the Premier League with this club then nothing else matters."

And the Reds boss believes it is more difficult than ever to become champions of England due to the overall quality of the top flight.

The Reds suffered a difficult week prior to the March international break when they were knocked out of the Champions League, before losing the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle

Those back-to-back defeats led to some suggestions during the two-week break that picking up the one trophy remaining in the form of a 20th championship might represent an underwhelming return

That was something Virgil van Dijk rejected in a post-match chat with Michael Owen after Wednesday's Merseyside derby win

Van Dijk

“I think we need to change that narrative a little bit."

Slot has now backed his captain's stance, saying the league title is still the most important at a club like Liverpool.

Slot

“Let me understand it right, Virgil was a bit frustrated because it came across as it’s not enough to 'only' win the Premier League?"

Slot asked.

"Michael did play for us, didn’t he? So he is aware of the fact that in 35 years we won the league once? There is your answer.

"If you can win the Premier League with this club then nothing else matters I would say.

“If you do it 10 times in a row then I could understand that people say: ‘Oh but you only win the Premier League’.

"If Manchester City 'only' won the Premier League then I could understand people saying: ‘It’s not a good season for City’.

“But if, at this club, you can compete for it and let alone win it, then it is a strange question to ask in my opinion. If Virgil has this opinion as well then I agree with him.

"I think the league is better than it ever was, that is what people are always saying. That’s what I hear a lot because the strength overall is getting better.

"I think even Pep Guardiola said there will not be a team again as long as he lives that gets more than 100 points and wins the league four times in a row because so many more teams are having so many more good players.

"I think he even said what I have said the whole year, that all clubs, even some who are fighting against relegation, have some players who can play for City, for Arsenal, for us, for Chelsea and for these type of teams.

"The reason why teams you might expect to have more points don’t have them is because the league has become stronger.

“That is probably why it is such a compliment for us that we do have those points at the moment."