Arne Slot has warned his players against complacency after Liverpool increased their lead at the top of the Premier League with a 6-3 win at Tottenham.
The Reds produced one of their best attacking performances of the season away in north London, with Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah all on target.
But after taking a 5-1 lead, a drop in intensity gave hope for a brief Spurs comeback as they brought the match back to 5-3, before Diaz’s second sealed the victory.
The victory allowed the Reds to capitalize on the points Chelsea lost by drawing 0-0 with Everton, but Slot insists his side must keep their foot on the accelerator if they are to maintain their title.
“Until 60 or 65 minutes, I really, really, really liked what I saw,” said the Dutch coach.
“But then you also saw that no matter how good the players are, if they think they don’t need to run anymore in this league, especially against Tottenham, they immediately start creating and they score two goals. J I was happy when the sixth arrived.
“Maybe it’s human when you lead 5-1. You think, “Okay.” But Tottenham still continue and have the ability to create.
“You have to be at your best every second of the match and if you’re not 100% it hurts you.”
Slot: “Difficult to stay on top”
Liverpool will be top of the table at Christmas thanks to their performance against a weak Spurs team. Slot said: “It means something.
“You know as well as I how difficult it is to stay at the top. You have to be on top of your game every minute. It’s not easy to show up every three or four days.
“I didn’t expect Chelsea to drop points today. This can happen in any game and that’s what makes the league so special.
Slot machine: “The best player Salah never stops working”
Salah became the fourth highest scorer in Liverpool’s history with his brace and Slot expressed his admiration for the Egyptian striker’s determination.
“Besides being a good footballer, he is very likeable as a person,” Slot said. “He is always there to help his teammates, always down to earth.
“He understands what it takes to be at that level every three days. This is what impresses me; that as a top player he understands how hard he has to work for the quality he shows.
