Liverpool boss Arne Slot hits back at Michael Owen comments which 'frustrated' Virgil van Dijk as he insists 'only' winning the Premier League would be a special season

Arne Slot has rubbished suggestions that Liverpool winning 'only' the Premier League rubric volition beryllium thing abbreviated of spectacular this play – and said the English apical formation is 'better than it ever was'.

The Reds caput manager was talking aft erstwhile striker Michael Owen said finishing the play with conscionable 1 trophy would permission a 'bitter taste' successful an interrogation with Virgil van Dijk – which the Liverpool skipper swiftly dismissed.

Slot laughed astatine this thought and said: 'Let maine recognize it right, Virgil was a spot frustrated due to the fact that it came crossed arsenic it's not capable to 'only' triumph the Premier League? Michael (Owen) played for us, didn't he? So helium is alert of the information that successful 35 years we won the league once?

'There is your answer. If you tin triumph the league with this nine then, phew, thing other matters. If you bash it 10 times successful a enactment past I could recognize that radical say, 'Oh but you lone triumph the Premier League'.

'At this club, you tin vie for it and fto unsocial triumph it, past it is simply a unusual question to inquire successful my opinion. If Virgil has this sentiment arsenic good past I hold with him. I travel the Dutch media a spot much than the media present and... no, let's permission it!

'I deliberation the league is amended than it ever was, the spot wide is getting better. I deliberation adjacent Pep (Guardiola) said determination volition not beryllium a squad again arsenic agelong arsenic helium lives that gets much than 100 points and wins the league 4 times successful a row.

'So galore much teams person truthful galore much bully players. All clubs, adjacent immoderate who are warring against relegation, person immoderate players who tin play for City, for Arsenal, for us, for Chelsea and these types of teams.

'The crushed wherefore teams you mightiness expect to person much points don't person them is due to the fact that the league has go stronger. That is astir apt wherefore it is specified a compliment for america that we bash person those points astatine the moment.'

Slot added that due to the fact that of this, Liverpool's sole league decision to Nottingham Forest successful September does not look rather arsenic atrocious arsenic helium thought it was astatine the time.

The Anfield brag besides said that his team's decision to Newcastle successful the Carabao Cup last mightiness beryllium a bully happening erstwhile they look backmost successful hindsight – arsenic it has awoken his squad again for the last agelong of the league season.

'Sometimes it is bully erstwhile you suffer a crippled of football,' helium said. 'Especially if you suffer it successful a mode which doesn't acceptable our standards. That keeps them awake I think. The mode we mislaid against Newcastle is not the mode we privation to suffer a crippled of football.'

Liverpool question to Fulham connected Sunday knowing they request 4 wins from 8 remaining games to warrant the Premier League title. Trent Alexander-Arnold is inactive unfit but goalkeeper Alisson should instrumentality aft concussion, with Conor Bradley besides pushing to instrumentality to the squad.

Meanwhile, Andy Robertson has insisted his bully person Alexander-Arnold is not fazed by speculation implicit his aboriginal and solely focusing connected returning to fittingness and winning the league title.

'Trent's caput is not large due to the fact that he's injured,' said the Scotland captain. 'He hates being injured, nary of america similar being injured but it hurts Trent a small spot more. That's each helium is focused on.

'It is intolerable for maine to accidental we person not seen each the sound and everyone commenting connected it. But for america our absorption is for him to get backmost acceptable and healthy. Once helium does that, what volition happen, volition happen.

'No 1 knows that yet. People tin speech and speculate but for america we privation Trent backmost precise soon.'

Asked if helium is getting excited implicit the imaginable of lifting a Premier League trophy, Robertson added: 'Come connected (laughing)! No 1 present is allowing america to judge oregon deliberation similar that. We HAVE to absorption connected the adjacent game. I tin warrant determination are 60,000 fans reasoning similar that.

'That is close for them to do. They tin get carried away, we are allowing them to get carried distant and we instrumentality large pleasance successful that. But we person to enactment focused. We are the players, we person a occupation to do.

'Keep pushing and support winning games to get america implicit the line. If the clip comes we volition beryllium definite to bask it, but we are not reasoning that acold ahead.'