Arne Slot says he's not thinking about Liverpool clinching the Premier League title on Sunday.
The Dutchman would join a small group of coaches to win the title in their first year in charge at a new club, reports AP.
“The honest answer is no, but I’m not sure if you believe me,” Slot said Friday when questioned about securing the crown. “I’m not looking backwards a lot, and I’m not looking forward a lot. That’s the type of person that I am.”
Liverpool is on the verge of sealing its 20th English top-flight title, which would equal Manchester United's record. It can happen Sunday if, first, Ipswich beats second-place Arsenal, and then Liverpool defeats Leicester.
“My thoughts are not on that at all,” said Slot, whose team holds a 13-point lead with six games left.
Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp last summer, is set to join elite company. Jose Mourinho (Chelsea, 2004-05), Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea, 2009-10), Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City, 2013-14), Claudio Ranieri (Leicester, 2015-16), and Antonio Conte (Chelsea, 2016-17) all won the Premier League in their first season. Of that group, only Ranieri had previously coached in the division.
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It wouldn't be the first time that a Liverpool manager accomplished the feat. Joe Fagan led the Reds to the top-flight title in 1984, two years before Kenny Dalglish did the same.
Alexander-Arnold's status
Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have both signed two-year extensions, but Slot offered no insights on the contract status of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The right back has been strongly linked to a move to Real Madrid this summer.
“We don't talk about this as long as things are not done yet, and they aren’t, so that’s why we don’t talk in public about this situation,” Slot said.
Alexander-Arnold, whose current contract ends in the summer, could be an option off the bench for the game at Leicester, the manager added. The defender has returned to training after being sidelined with an ankle injury sustained more than five weeks ago.