The boss credited the whole team for toughing it out through a difficult game against Bournemouth.
The game against Bournemouth wasn’t the prettiest match we’ve seen this season, but the 2-0 victory felt sweeter because of it. The in-form Cherries clearly fancied their chances against the league leaders when they visited on Saturday afternoon.
Two goals by Mohamed Salah, one a penalty in the first half and the second a lovely strike in the second, sealed the game and the three points for the visitors.
Arne Slot admitted that he expected the battle his team walked into based on Bournemouth’s latest performances.
“They’ve picked up points against so many good teams, not by luck, but because they’re intense,” Slot said. “They have quality and that’s why we knew it was always going to be very hard and if you want to win here maybe you need a bit of luck as well because the margins are so small.”
And while he was asked specifically about the performances of Salah and Alisson Becker, Slot was quick to point out that it was a combined group effort to come away the victors.
“Like I said, if you want to win here against a team that is so competitive then you need a team performance and work-rate,” he said. “That’s what we have and you need some quality individuals that make the difference for you and that goal of Mo was absolute quality and the saves Alisson made as well. But it was not only them, the way our centre-backs were defending again today was also impressive.”
The Reds are now currently nine points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand. Arsenal play Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, which will decide if they end the week nine, eights, or six points ahead of the competition.