The Premier League champions have won all three previous matches against the visitors at Anfield, which should boost the confidence of a Liverpool team that dropped to 12th place in the league following a 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest over the weekend.

Liverpool needs to improve

Under significant pressure at present, Slot first commented on the loss to Forest and admitted his team must improve defensively to reverse their fortunes.

"Up until now, defense hasn't been a problem. If you consider how we played most of the match, the first 30 minutes on Saturday were exactly what we wanted, except we didn’t score.

"We haven’t created many chances against a team that defends deep. Their first attack resulted in a goal, then we conceded again early in the second half.

"I showed the players how often we entered the box and the number of crosses we made, which was six or seven times more than Forest managed.

"But they protected their box far better than we did. That’s what everyone keeps telling us and what we remind ourselves. We have to do better defensively. On the ball, we aren’t doing much differently from last season, but the goals we concede are."

Having won three of four Champions League games, Liverpool are performing well in Europe. Nevertheless, Slot criticized his side, who, despite last season’s Premier League triumph, appear stunned domestically this season.

"We are conceding more goals than last season. At this point last year, we gave up zero goals from set-pieces; now it’s nine. The number of goals conceded is almost absurd for a club like ours.

"It’s absurd. It’s unbelievable. I’ve said many times that there are never enough excuses for us to perform this way. It’s unexpected for the club, for me, for everyone.

"But maybe this is the best club to face such challenges; the tougher it gets here, the more united we become."

Slot criticizes his team again

This is the first time in over ten years the club has been in the bottom half of the table, with Liverpool suffering eight losses in their last 11 matches across all competitions.

Their hopes of the title are gone, and now the focus shifts to finishing in the top four. Slot expressed disbelief at the club’s poor form and accepted full responsibility.

"Staying calm isn’t very difficult for me. It’s part of my nature. Most would describe me as a calm person. These situations aren’t pleasant, are they? Losing is never nice, especially at a club like Liverpool.

"Honestly, I didn’t expect to be in this position given our tactical approach and player quality. You could say it’s our sixth loss out of seven in the Premier League, but in the last four matches, we’ve lost two and won three in the Champions League.

"However, it’s below the standard expected at Liverpool. I take full responsibility; I feel accountable. We are working hard to fix it.

"I’m at a club where success is the norm, but also where tough times happen. We will put in extra effort. As a manager, I try to lead by example and push even harder.

"We haven’t found the right solution to turn defeats into wins. But when you’re ahead 1-0 and still lose, how do you explain that? It shows how tough it has been to come from behind and change the outcome. Hopefully, we can take the lead tomorrow night."

Does Slot need to prove himself?

Finally, Slot was asked if he now has to prove himself to the supporters who have called for his dismissal this past week despite last season’s success.

"Every day you have to prove your worth when working at a club of this level. You can’t just say you won the league and everything is fine.

"At this level, the next match is always the most important. That applies to both the players and me."

"Working in this environment means you can never relax; you have to keep pushing, especially when things aren’t going well. I’m not sure if I need to prove myself more to the fans or to myself."