Darwin Nunez scored twice in stoppage time as Liverpool beat Brentford 2-0 to strengthen its spot in first place in the Premier League on Saturday. Second-placed Arsenal will look to restore the four-point gap to Liverpool by defeating Aston Villa later.

Slot then showed a steel of his own in both defending and praising his player, as well as his team’s form. The Liverpool manager first disagreed with the phrasing of questions that portrayed a “disappointing season” for Nunez, insisting it has just been a case of much more competition for places in a team that is top of the league.