Arne Slot plays it cool over Premier League title challenge but changes his tune

Liverpool sits 10 points off the Premier League pace nearing the halfway mark; Arne Slot had previously all but conceded the title defense, but has rowed back a little

Arne Slot struck a slightly different tone when asked about Liverpool's title defense recently(Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

It may not feel like it, but Liverpool is the defending Premier League champion. And with more than half of the season still to play, Arne Slot has declined to completely write off that defense just yet.

After an excellent first few results, Liverpool descended into full-blown crisis mode, such that Slot's future at the club ended up under scrutiny. There are unwanted parallels to the season after Jurgen Klopp won the league, which rivals gleefully branded the worst title defense in history.

Of course, you first have to win the league in order to mount an underwhelming defense, so this sort of emerging boom and bust cycle is far from the worst issue Liverpool could have. But in any case, there have been some tentative signs of a revival, and Slot is remaining tight-lipped on his ambitions for the rest of the campaign.

Certainly, the recent mini-uptick has been nowhere near enough to inspire genuine confidence. Five unbeaten sounds like progress, but that run includes the chaotic 3-3 game against Leeds and an underwhelming draw against an admittedly high-flying Sunderland.

Nevertheless, Slot had to start somewhere. And that Leeds game notwithstanding, Liverpool has at least tightened up at the back, providing a somewhat more steady foundation; the 2-0 win over Brighton was the most professional outing in some time.

"Winning always gives us good feelings and spirit, especially for a team who had so many changes in the summer," Slot said ahead of facing Spurs. "The table, the first 12/13 teams are so close.

"Man City are getting closer to Arsenal but they are quite a way from us. Other games we have been solid defensively and that is a good base.

"Combine with the players getting more ready to compete at PL intensity as a group, so I think we can expect more from us in upcoming part of the season. But I assume everyone would expect that as well!"

Liverpool put in its best performance in weeks in the 2-0 win over Brighton(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

As Slot alluded to, the pendulum has already swung quite dramatically this season. Liverpool was almost being crowned champion again in certain quarters after five games, while Arsenal has been the latest to see a runaway lead begin to erode.

Liverpool itself remains 10 points off the pace set by the Gunners. But in the context of the ebbs and flows of the campaign so far, it is true that the majority of the table feels reasonably close together.

There are still three more games before the halfway point. And already, every single team has dropped more than the 10 points that separate first and seventh (and indeed Sunderland in eighth).

In fact, one more defeat for Arsenal would mean Mikel Arteta's side has already dropped the same number of points that Liverpool lost throughout its title-winning 2019/20 campaign. The league, which looked for a time as though it was heading for a period where near-perfection would be required for a title, has swung the other way.

Arsenal has started to stumble in its latest attempt to get a title charge over the line(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Of course, none of this means that Liverpool will necessarily be able to get its act together and close the gap. A far likelier outcome is still a recovery to the Champions League places, hopefully alongside a promising European campaign.

But as Slot says, there are reasons to be optimistic that Liverpool will come back stronger in the second half of the season. The new signings are beginning to bed in and adjust, and there are green shoots from a defensive standpoint.

Last month, Slot said the title race was the "last thing" he should be speaking about, conceding that "it feels there's too many [losses]." Even if he has only subtly altered his tune, it is a welcome change of direction.

After all, there is nothing to be gained by putting a gap on the team's ambition. All Slot can do is position his side to be ready in the event that others falter, and he has a far better chance of doing that with a Liverpool squad which believes in its title-winning caliber.