"This will be tough too" - Arne Slot fires warning shots at Liverpool ahead of highly-anticipated clash with Real Madrid and Manchester City

Arne Slot has warned his Liverpool players that they cannot take Southampton lightly. He believes the players need to get the job done on Sunday before focusing on the Real Madrid and Manchester City games next week.

Speaking to the media ahead of the match, Slot admitted that he is confident that his players will be focused ahead of the Southampton clash this weekend.

He added that the players are aware about not taking any side lightly and said via LiverpoolECHO:

"I am confident that (the players keeping their focus) will happen. For me it is not just to do with age. We do have a few older players but we also have quite a lot of them in the age group in between, but they are all experienced. They all play for their national team. They saw last season they were competitive throughout the whole season and the seasons before, so for them it is not the first time they go into a week where they face two teams that dominated football in the last four or five years in the league and Champions League."

"They also saw because they follow football as well how difficult Southampton made it for Arsenal and for Man City to get a win. It not only has to do with age, it also has to do with experience and all of them have experience. Southampton have been unlucky but their style is excellent, they could have got a result in every game. Everyone is looking at Real Madrid and Man City, but this will be tough too on Sunday," he added.

Liverpool are currently on top of the Premier League table with 28 points from 11 matches. They are four points clear of Manchester City, who are four points ahead of third placed Chelsea.

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Liverpool without key trio for Southampton clash

Arne Slot has confirmed that Liverpool trio – Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Diogo Jota will miss the match against Southampton. He admitted that they are being careful with the issues and are ready to give the players enough time.

He said via Liverpool.com:

"For next week? We'll have to wait and see because the last week is always tricky because it's isolated to group sessions so it is difficult to judge. So I cannot say it will one or two or three days. Alisson and Jota I don't expect them to be fit for that game [Real], Trent we will see. Alisson? We're careful with everyone when it comes to muscles. He is back in training with goalkeeper coach and not training with the team but that is expected soon. Le'ts wait and see where he is in terms of match fitness, getting better and better but not ready."

The Reds are also without Federico Chiesa, who has been on the sidelines in the last few weeks.