Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-1 at Anfield to maintain their lead at the top of the Premier League table
Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is impressed by new Reds head coach Arne Slot as the Spaniard praised the team’s attitude during the victory over Chelsea. A 2-1 triumph at Anfield saw Liverpool remain top of the Premier League table and Benitez believes they have the “right mentality” to stay there.
Goals from Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones were enough to see off the Londoners, and Benitez liked what he heard from Slot after the match, with the Dutchman praising his side for the way they defended as they maintained their lead in the late stages of the game.
And Benitez, speaking on Match of the Day 2, also praised the workrate of Salah, highlighting a moment with 15 minutes left on the clock to show how important the Egyptian is at both ends of the pitch.
READ MORE: Gary Neville isn’t budging about Liverpool despite ‘interesting’ developmentsREAD MORE: ‘It was a legitimate question to ask’- national media respond to Liverpool win over Chelsea
He said: “Both managers summarised what they want for the rest of the season. [Chelsea boss Enzo] Maresca was saying they had possession and [Pedro] Neto was saying the same. That is fine but Slot was saying the right thing for me when you want to win titles. We have balance, we defend well and are a threat in attack.
“They are top of the league because they are attacking and defending really well. He is someone you can see has common sense when he’s talking. He was talking about the international break and when you have experience and players with the South American players coming [back] it is crucial to win the game one way or another. They did, the team is competitive, know what to do and have the right mentality to stay at the top of the table.
“He is level, he has to prove himself again. It shows a competitive mentality and wants to win something. When you have Salah on 75 minutes coming back to help the defence then having to go forward to create a chance, you have all the team together.
“Don’t forget you have two or three players coming from the bench from international duty and they are top-class players. That means they have the competitive mentality and then you can see that they are going in the right direction. They have a plan, have an idea, the right mentality, they have confidence and I think they are doing really well.”
Liverpool travel to Leipzig for a Champions League clash in midweek before a huge trip to the Emirates to face fellow Premier League title contenders Arsenal.
