Arne Slot reaction – Liverpool boss on West Ham blowout, contracts for Alexander-Arnold, Salah, Van Dijk

Arne Slot’s reaction to Liverpool’s blowout win at West Ham United on Sunday should make good reading for Reds supporters.

Neither Slot nor his new club’s fans will have expected to have an eight-point lead in the table with a game in hand on the pitch heading into the new year.

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After all, Slot took the reins from a charismatic club legend like Jurgen Klopp, with bumps in the road to be expected at Anfield.

Instead, the bumps have been experienced by almost everyone else, and Slot has enjoyed watching the club’s mega star Mohamed Salah continue to rewrite the record books.

Salah scored and set up two others in the five-goal victory as the Egyptian is now alone in 10th place all-time for Premier League assists – overtaking David Beckham. Salah leads the division in both goals and assists this season.

The only bad news for Castle are the questions that continue to arise over the futures of Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, the latter of whom is reportedly ready to switch to Real Madrid in the summer.

Arne Slot reaction — How did the Liverpool boss react to blowout win at West Ham?

About the win: “The way we played with the ball, the amount of chances we created and the control we took in an away game, which is always difficult. I don’t think we gave the West Ham fans much to cheer about today , and that was the most important thing.”

About Arne Slots 2024: “It was a great year working at a great club in Feyenoord. I was thinking if there was another club I could do better. It’s probably not that good, it’s better now. To do it in another country is special. A whole year with only one loss is special and that’s Nottingham Forest.”

On the key to a title challenge: “Consistency, there will be enough challenges, starting with Man United at home, which is a big game, even if you don’t look at the league table. It’s nine games in January plus the first of February, that’s a lot.”

On Joe Gomez’s injury: “We all know it’s a hamstring and we all know it’s going to be a while before he’s back. I don’t know how long he’ll be out, but quite a bit.”

Will January 1st change the mood in Liverpool, as Salah, Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold can talk to other teams: “Not on the inside, but on the outside, people will be talking about it even more. Not just these three, but it’s also a month where people can make transfers. It’s going to be about the ones we could bring in or others who also could leave.”

Is Alexander-Arnold’s situation more negative than Salah and Van Dijk? “I don’t think it’s negative. He has played really well and the way he celebrated his goal tells you enough. I’m really happy for Trent, as happy as I am with Mo and Virgil.”