Slot concedes Liverpool's campaign has been a 'constant battle'

Arne Slot states that the opening portion of Liverpool's season has been a "constant battle", conceding that the Premier League title race looks like a contest solely between Arsenal and Manchester City.

The title holders Liverpool sit in fourth position at the midway point, trailing the Gunners by 12 points and City by eight after a goalless draw against Leeds on Thursday.

Aston Villa in third are six points ahead of the Reds.

Slot's squad has clawed back some progress following a dismal spell of nine losses in 12 outings across all tournaments from late September onwards, yet they are still significantly off the required tempo.

"In truth, those two sides (Arsenal and City) are rather distant from us, and we ought not to focus on them right now," the Liverpool manager remarked.

"We have faced difficulties all along. Lately, we have gone seven (league) matches without defeat, but mentioning that might suggest 'They are surging ahead in the league', though that is not the case.

"Each match we contest demands intense effort. We are usually the superior side compared to the opposition, but only just barely."

Slot mentioned that he and his players will continue striving to "discover a phase where we can surge through the season".

"However, over the initial 19 fixtures, it has been a constant battle, with tight results, occasionally fortunate, at times unfortunate," he conceded.

Slot, who secured the Premier League in his debut year at Anfield, feels that fourth spot accurately captures Liverpool's performance to date.

"Even though the differences are narrow, which might have granted us three, four, five, or six additional points perhaps," he noted before Sunday's away game at Fulham.

"Yet from open play and our current standing, when I compare us to Arsenal and to City, it is just that we are not ahead of them.

"Being so many points adrift of them has its causes, but it would not be right if we were positioned above them given our play."

Liverpool, presently without the injured Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah, who is representing Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, found it tough to assert control versus Leeds at Anfield, even with strong possession dominance.

"I believe it is evident that we seldom allow opportunities to the opponents nowadays," Slot commented.

However, he continued: "It is equally evident that we struggle to create sufficient scoring opportunities despite the amount of ball we hold, and this is not a fresh issue for us this term."