Liverpool solidified their position at the summit of the Premier League, extending their lead to four points following a narrow 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace on Saturday. Diogo Jota scored the decisive goal, ensuring the Reds secured all three points despite a late push from the winless Eagles.

Under the guidance of Arne Slot, who has now won nine of his first ten matches since taking over from Jürgen Klopp, the team faced some frustration as they allowed Palace to pressure them in the final moments. “We should have finished it off with such a dominant performance,” Slot remarked.

He further emphasized the importance of adding a second goal to mentally break their opponents. “If you score the second, you break them mentally, and now all the fans kept believing in a result because it was only 1-0, even though, in my opinion, we were the dominant team.”

ALSO READ: Guardiola Frustrated as Premier League Rejects Man City’s Request for Delayed Start Next Season

The loss leaves Crystal Palace languishing in the relegation zone, with only three points from their first seven matches. Slot’s impressive start as manager has seen him become the first Liverpool boss to win eight out of nine games, following a 2-0 victory against Bologna in the Champions League earlier this week.

Despite this success, Slot acknowledged the challenging fixtures ahead, including matches against Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Manchester City. “It’s very good we have won these games, and now it is up to us to show ourselves in the big games,” he stated.

Liverpool’s triumph, however, came at a cost, as goalkeeper Alisson Becker limped off late in the match, raising concerns for upcoming fixtures after the international break. “Unfortunately, Ali will not be with us, I assume, if I saw the way he walked off the pitch correctly,” Slot noted.

While the Reds enjoyed a dominant first half, they struggled to capitalize on their chances, ultimately managing to secure their fifth clean sheet in seven league outings. Crystal Palace briefly thought they had scored in the opening minute, but Eddie Nketiah was ruled offside after converting Ismaila Sarr’s cross.