Arne Slot says Liverpool clash will be 'a very special game' for Arsenal

Arne Slot urged Liverpool to take confidence from their 1-0 win over Arsenal in August and said a victory on Thursday could show they can compete in cup competitions; Liverpool trail Arsenal by 14 points ahead of the trip to north London.

Arne Slot has encouraged Liverpool to draw confidence from their earlier win over Arsenal as the teams prepare to meet in north London on Thursday. A free-kick by Dominik Szoboszlai gave Liverpool a 1-0 victory at Anfield in August, a result that Slot said shows the squad can compete with top teams. Liverpool have struggled for consistency since then and sit 14 points behind Arsenal in the league. Slot also spoke about the team’s wider targets and recent criticism ahead of upcoming fixtures. Key points: - Dominik Szoboszlai scored a free-kick in August to give Liverpool a 1-0 win at Anfield. - Liverpool now trail Arsenal by 14 points ahead of the Thursday trip to north London. - Slot said a win in matches like this would indicate Liverpool can compete in the latter stages of the FA Cup and the Champions League. - The team are on a nine-match unbeaten run that has included draws with Leeds and dropped points against Sunderland and Fulham. - Slot acknowledged fan criticism about the style of play and said his teams try to play attacking football but are struggling to create many chances. Summary: Slot framed the upcoming Arsenal match as an important chance for Liverpool to regain momentum and to show they can still challenge in cup competitions. Liverpool will also resume Champions League group-stage fixtures later this month and have a third-round FA Cup tie against Barnsley; the immediate next match is the trip to north London on Thursday.