Liverpool boss Arne Slot has given his players Christmas Day off ahead of their clash with Wolves next weekend. The Reds picked up their ninth Premier League victory of the campaign on Saturday night as they overcame a defiant Tottenham 2-1 in north London.
Liverpool made hard work of Thomas Frank’s men, who had Xavi Simons sent off in the first-half before Cristian Romero was also dismissed in stoppage time at the end of the match. The Reds appeared to be cruising following strikes from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike. But the finale proved chaotic as Spurs’ nine men pushed for an equaliser at the death after Richarlison had sparked hopes of a comeback with a late strike. Ultimately, the visitors clung on to secure the three points and move level with fourth-place Chelsea.
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According to The Athletic, Slot will not ask his Liverpool players to train on Christmas Day.
And following the win against Spurs, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk explained: “Now we have a couple of days off. We will recover and then we will focus on Wolves. First we have Christmas. Being with your family and being healthy are the most important things in life.”
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Slot is clearly attempting to bring back the feel-good factor at Anfield following a difficult season for the Reds.
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Liverpool stormed to the top of the Premier League table at the start of the campaign after winning their first five league matches. But their form nosedived as the side suffered six defeats in seven Premier League encounters between the end of September and late November.
That run also coincided with a 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat at home to Crystal Palace in October and a humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat to PSV at Anfield last month.
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But the Merseyside giants have since overcome Inter Milan at the San Siro and have seen off Brighton and Tottenham to record their first back-to-back league victories since mid-September.
Following their victory over Tottenham, Liverpool players headed straight out for a festive team meal. And for now, it appears Slot will be given the opportunity to lead his side forward after navigating the tricky spell.
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“Three points away at Spurs is very nice,” Slot admitted after Saturday’s match. “For us, the aim was again to win because we need wins to make the league table look a bit better for us.”
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And he added: “They were close, they came close a few times. It’s unbelievable if you play against nine men that in the nine minutes of added time I wouldn’t be surprised if they had the ball for eight-and-a-half minutes. That’s not what you expect.
“Maybe that tells you where we are in the season. We need a few wins to get a bit more comfortable if we have a setback like today where the goalie concedes for 2-1.”