Liverpool boss Arne Slot insists his side’s biggest tests lie ahead after 2-1 victory over Chelsea kept Reds top of the Premier League table

Arne Slot has claimed Liverpool’s biggest challenges lie ahead, with a tough fixture list starting this week with trips to RB Leipzig and Arsenal.

Slot’s side endured their toughest test yet by beating in-form Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday, but the Dutchman says the way his players juggle the big games in both the Champions League and Premier League has made their season will determine.

Striker Diogo Jota is doubtful for the midweek match in Germany after being substituted with a suspected rib injury.

Slot said after goals from Mo Salah (pen) and Curtis Jones kept his side top of the league by a point:

‘I say: don’t judge us after this game, judge us after the next seven games. We have Leipzig, Arsenal, Brighton twice, Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa, and then Real Madrid.

‘Our biggest test is to play different competitions, three tough matches in a week. You saw how difficult it was for us two years ago and last year for Manchester United and Newcastle. That’s what Arsenal and Manchester City can do.

“We’ve had some tough games this season, but Chelsea were perhaps the toughest because of the amount of quality players they have and the structure they have.

‘We had to fight very hard to get this over the line.

‘I have a lot of confidence in this team, but I always saw that we had some problems. Trent (Alexander-Arnold) didn’t train for a few days after returning from duty in England, then we had Macca (Alexis Mac Allister).

‘So many things have to be done very well anywhere in the world to win a league title.’

Both managers felt they were on the wrong side of a number of questionable decisions.

Slot claimed referee John Brooks went out of his way to show he was unaffected by the Anfield crowd and the Reds boss was shown a yellow card after Mo Salah was denied a penalty, while a penalty awarded for the Robert Sanchez’s challenge on Jones was overturned by VAR.

But in the end Chelsea suffered the biggest annoyance as Alexander-Arnold’s kick to Jadon Sancho’s ankle was not given shortly before Levi Colwill was punished for a touch by Jones.

Slot’s team passed their toughest test yet by beating in-form Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday

Blues boss Enzo Maresca said after his side’s first league defeat since the opening day of the season:

‘I am relaxed because I am happy with the team’s performance.

‘The referee’s decisions have been clear to me and to all of you. But the referee is there to make a decision, sometimes they are right, sometimes they are wrong.’