Premier League LIVE: Slot & Guardiola speaking before Tuesday's matches

Slot - 'Not acceptable' if we don't qualify for Champions League

Sunderland v Liverpool (Wed, 20:15 GMT)

Liverpool

A final word from Arne Slot on whether Champions League qualification would make this an acceptable season: "Acceptable? Yes. If we don't have Champions League football it has not been an acceptable season.

"What I said when I arrived here, we can only sign Federico Chiesa and that was after a Europa League season. So it does have an enormous impact in the way this club is run, so that is clear. I am completely aware of that."

'There is still a possibility we can do something special this season'

Sunderland v Liverpool (Wed, 20:15 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on if he has done anything different this season: "You always do something different because you cannot compare any season with another one. It's different to lead the team after a loss or multiple losses or multiple draws than it is after a win. But I don't think anyone in this building would tell you I have completely changed.

"It is different after the season we are having now than all the other seasons I have managed, where we always did something special. There is still a possibility we can do something special this season as well."

My toughest season as a manager 'by a mile' - Slot

Sunderland v Liverpool (Wed, 20:15 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot was asked if he felt this had been a tough season:

"That is fair to say [this is the toughest season I have had] by a mile. All of the other seasons I have managed there were only positives, I don't think I have ever lost two games in a row. It's an exception for me this season and it is for the players, they are not used to losing a lot or having a lot of draws. I am not used to that either.

"It's always more of a challenge after you lose a game of football to get them going again and after a win tell them that we are not as good as they might think they are, so this season has been more challenging for me as well.

"You also take nice things out of it, though that may sound weird. I also look at how much improvement we are making. As a manager we are always looking for results but it is also important the players and the team improves because if that doesn't happen we would have an even bigger problem over here.

"But in my opinion everyone is now able, maybe not those who are injured, to play every three days at the intensity level that is needed at this club and in the Premier League as well.

"As a result, our performances are much, much, much better than they were at the start of the season. I don't mean the first six games, but when we started playing a double programme [including midweek European and domestic cup games].

"The first six games we only had one double programme with Everton, that was a difficult win, and since we went into the double programme we have started to drop so many points."

'I just want to protect my players'

Sunderland v Liverpool (Wed, 20:15 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on why he isn't playing Calvin Ramsay at right-back: "I think in general if you don't win a game, the players who aren't playing become the best players in the squad. I think that is everywhere in the world the same. If the players who are starting aren't winning the manager could have always chosen another one. I think this is an example of it as well. I just want to protect my players. I have chosen other players until now and that is also what I am going to do tomorrow."

And on how Dominik Szoboszlai reacted to the red card: "I think his main disappointment was that we lost the game after he scored such a great goal and us being so close to a result and the emotions are there by getting a red card and missing the Sunderland game. It's not good for him or the team. Of course he was, as all the others, very disappointed about the last 10 minutes of the game."

Slot - 'We don't perform to Liverpool standards'

Sunderland v Liverpool (Wed, 20:15 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot was asked how the players are dealing with setbacks this season:

"A draw feels like a loss at this club. That's definitely not easy for players as well because they know what the standards of Liverpool mean, and we are not performing to the standards of Liverpool at the moment and they feel that disappointment.

"Mainly because we are so close every single game. Every game it feels as though we are going to win it but it doesn't happen. And that is probably more difficult than when you play a game and throughout the whole game you feel like the other team is better and you're just not good enough.

"But that's not what they feel. They feel performance wise that they can compete with any other team in any league in the world.

"But reality is that we don't perform to Liverpool standards."

'Is it unlucky or part of who we are?'

Sunderland v Liverpool (Wed, 20:15 GMT)

Liverpool

More from Arne Slot on if Liverpool have had bad luck this season: "It feels like that, that is for sure. I said even if we sign a player and he is not even playing for us he gets injured. Sometimes it feels like that but the moment you feel it is all bad luck it comes to you as well, so we should keep it away as much as possible and just focus on the performance. Focus on what we can do to improve it.

"But the amount of times we have conceded late goals in extra time is far more than usual, is it bad luck or are we to blame?

"I have tried many different things, I have made defensive substitutions and the ball went in and I kept playing the same players and the ball went in so we have tried a lot.

"I can say we haven't been lucky, that is definitely true. Is it then unlucky or part of who we are? That is something we can find out in the upcomign three to four months."

'I have to give credit to my players'

Sunderland v Liverpool (Wed, 20:15 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on bouncing back from the Manchester City loss: "I have to give a lot of credit to my players because we have had so many setbacks or hits. So many times we haven't got what we deserve but every three days they show up again and brought in a good performance.

"That doesn't always lead to a win, but I have said many times I think there are only three halves this season where the other team were far better than us. That was Crystal Palace, Man City and maybe Arsenal away in the first half, but that was part of the first half.

"That is credit to the players because they have had many, many, many setbacks this season."

On Sunderland's unbeaten record at home: "They have a good record at home, they have had a very good season Sunderland. They have already played against City and Arsenal at home so that tells you how good of a season they are having and how strong and good they are at home."

We have to be 'close to perfection' to qualify for the Champions League

Sunderland v Liverpool (Wed, 20:15 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on the club's chances of securing Champions League football for next season: "[We have to be] close to perfection because of the points we are behind. We also know it is different when you are four points behind a team that are 18th or 19th in the league because they usually don't pick up as many points as the number three, four or five picks up, so to close the gap to numbers three, four and five that means you have to win a lot and that is not what we have done this season a lot, so that is why that has to be better and that is why we have to be close to perfection.

"Margins are indeed very small because seven minutes before the end we were five points behind City and five minutes later we were 11 points behind."

Gomez to return to training 'today'

Sunderland v Liverpool (Wed, 20:15 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is facing the media before his team play Sunderland tomorrow night.

He was first asked about Dominik Szoboszlai's red card against Manchester City: "My feelings haven't changed. The moment I saw the red card I was disappointed not to have him against Sunderland. But on the other hand I think the referee did what he had to do. It's the rule book and referees are there to follow the rule book."

On Joe Gomez's fitness: "Joe [Gomez] has not trained with us yet, I am expecting him to train with us today for the first time. If Joe is not ready to start then we are missing four players who have played in that position. But Curtis [Jones] and Wataru [Endo] have played in that position this season so we have had six different right full-backs."

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