LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) – Liverpool manager Arne Slot will be without Diogo Jota on Sunday when his team look to maintain their lead at the top of the Premier League standings away at Arsenal in what should be the Dutchman’s toughest test yet in England.
Portuguese forward Jota had started all but one of Liverpool’s league games this season, scoring four goals across all competitions, but was forced off the pitch with an abdominal issue early in their 2-1 win over Chelsea last weekend.
“Jota definitely no (for Sunday),” Slot told reporters on Friday.
Liverpool have a one-point lead over champions Manchester City with 21 points after eight matches. Arsenal are third with 17, dropping points in a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth last weekend.
A victory against the Gunners on Sunday would give Slot’s team seven points of breathing room over Mikel Arteta’s side.
“We all know that taking points from your competitor — and nobody knows in this early stage who is going to be your biggest competitor — but I think we all know that Arsenal will be one of them, and then dropping points against them or winning points against them, that is always important,” Slot said.
The last three clashes between the two teams have produced two draws and an Arsenal victory.
“If you make it simple, if you use mathematics, if Liverpool could have won all of them, I think the league table would have been a bit different,” Slot said. “But it’s difficult to win an away leg against Arsenal, City or all the other ones, but it’s something we are trying on Sunday, definitely.”
Slot improved his record start as Liverpool boss to 11 wins in his first 12 games with their 1-0 victory against RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday. He has also guided them to wins in all six games away from home — also a club record.
Liverpool’s defence have conceded just three goals in their last eight league games, while Arsenal have conceded on average a goal a game.
“Most games, we dominated and controlled for large parts, so that helps if you have the ball but I also like if we have difficult parts of the game then the work rate is incredible not to concede,” Slot said. “If you combine that with Virgil (van Dijk) and Ibou (Ibrahima Konate) and the two goalkeepers we’ve used, these elements are why we haven’t conceded so much.”
Slot said Alisson is “progressing well” in his recovery from a hamstring injury, but it is expected the Brazilian goalkeeper will miss at least another three matches and return after the next international break.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
