Liverpool

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot on whether he will change his team's style next season: "Football has evolved. Football has changed.

"I was hoping someone would ask me that question at the start but let me congratulate Arsenal on winning the league. The club, Mikel Arteta and his staff - it is a great accomplishment. Winning the Premier League is never easy and they have done a tremendous job this season but for me they have been a different champion to the teams the last 10 seasons.

"First of all because it is the first time in 30 years 40% of their goals are from set-pieces. Luis Enrique said it and I agree with him, they are by far the best team off the ball in our the Premier League - but I also think in Europe.

"So football has changed and evolved and we have to make sure we are able to compete with Arsenal and Manchester City next season with our own brand of football. We have to find the right balance and know and understand football has changed and evolved."

Liverpool

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot on whether Champions League qualification will impact his side's planning for the summer: "Yeah, it does. As I said over the course of three or four months when someone asks me about qualification for the Champions League, yes it has impact when it comes to our plans. That is definitely true."

Liverpool

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot on Champions League qualification: "We know what we need to do. We need to win or have a draw, otherwise we still have an acceptable goal difference.

"I think we would like to give our fans a nice way of ending the season because there have been far too many disappointments this season for us.

"With 'us', I mean the club and that includes the fans, the staff and the players as well. We want to end with a win, knowing that Brentford is playing for something really important as well."

One thing Liverpool must ensure when the full-time whistle brings the curtain down on a truly disappointing campaign on Sunday afternoon is that they have qualified for the Champions League next season.

The Reds can achieve that in a number of ways - but the simplest is to take care of their own business and beat Brentford on home soil.

If they do, they will seal a return to Europe’s elite competition, regardless of what Bournemouth and Brighton do elsewhere.

There is also a chance Liverpool could leapfrog Aston Villa - who won the Europa League on Wednesday - if they fail to beat Manchester City at the Etihad.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool

Arne Slot says Liverpool must find a way to evolve - now, over the summer and the next season - to be successful again

"We have to find a way to evolve the team and play a brand of football I like," Slot said.

"And if I like it, the fans will like it too because I haven’t liked a lot of the ways we've played this season."

Full quotes to follow...

Liverpool

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot on whether Mohamed Salah will be involved against Brentford on Sunday in the final game of the season: "I never say anything about team selection.

"It would be a surprise to you if I did it right now, I think."

Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot on whether Mohamed Salah's comments have had an impact on the players: "I don't know if it had an impact on the group. What I have seen is the team have trained really well this week, and we hope to continue really well in the upcoming two days so we are really prepared.

"I think Mo and I have the same interest - we want the best for this club. We want the club to be as successful as possible. We were both part of giving the fans their first league title in five years - but we are also aware of this season.

"What we want, what he wants and what I want is for the club to be as successful as last season. That is where my main focus is at now because the game on Sunday could give us a really base heading into next season. That is where we should focus."

Liverpool

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot on Mohamed Salah's comments on social media: "I don't think it is that important what I feel about it.

"What it is important is that we qualify for the Champions League on Sunday, and I prepare Mo and the rest of the team to be ready for the game in the best possible way. That is what matters.

"I was very disappointed after our loss against Aston Villa, because a win would have given us qualification for the Champions League - which we didn't do. Now there is one game to go and it's a vital one for us as a club."

Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

Arne Slot was asked about Mohamed Salah’s social media post and he says that they share the same goals.

“Mo and I have the same interests. We want the best for the club - to be successful," Slot said.

Pressed on whether Salah will feature on Sunday, Slot said he never discusses team selection in advance.

Full quotes to follow...

Liverpool

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has taken his seat for his pre-match news conference.

We'll bring you everything he has to say right here.

Wayne Rooney
Former Man Utd striker on the Wayne Rooney Show

I find it sad at the end of what he's done and what he's achieved at Liverpool. It's not the point for him to come out and aim another dig at Slot.

He wants to play heavy metal football, so he's basically saying he wants Jurgen Klopp football. Now I don't think Mo Salah can cope with that type of football any more. I think his legs have gone to play at that high tempo and high intensity.

If I was Arne Slot, I'd have him nowhere near the stadium in the last game. I had it with Alex Ferguson. I had a disagreement and fallout and at Alex Ferguson's last game at Old Trafford, he left me out of the squad for that reason.

He's almost just dropped the grenade and said he doesn't trust and believe in Arne Slot and almost thrown his team-mates who are going to be there next season and let them have to deal with that as well and put them into a position.

Aadam Patel
Football Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Scroll down Mohamed Salah's social media and you will realise that this kind of statement on his own channels is rare.

He only posts on social media on the odd occasion, for example, when a team-mate leaves or when he wants to deliver a message to the Liverpool fans.

With just a week to go of his Liverpool career, this is a clear indication in terms of where he thinks the club is heading.

It is a damning verdict of what he thinks of Liverpool's current style of play under Slot and the use of a term like "heavy metal football" is enough to indicate that he wants more change at Anfield.

Of course, Salah will not be part of that change but given what he has done for Liverpool, his words will resonate across the fanbase.

Before his mixed zone interview at Leeds in December, where he said his relationship with Slot had broken down, the understanding from those close to Salah is that a statement issued in a similar way to this one was being considered as an option in order to control the message.

In the end, Salah decided to opt for the mixed zone interview where his passion came out.

This time around, Salah has chosen a more considered social-media statement.

And judging by the comments from players such as Jones and Ekitike on his post and the likes from fellow Liverpool team-mates, he is not alone with his thoughts.

It isn't just on the field that Arne Slot is facing a tough task.

Last week, departing forward Mohamed Salah said Liverpool must return to being a "heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear" after "crumbling" to a defeat at Aston Villa.

Salah - who has scored 257 goals and won the Champions League and Premier League twice since joining the Reds from Roma in 2017, said: "I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions. It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that.

"Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies.

"That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it.

"Winning some games here and there is not what Liverpool should be about. All teams win games. "Liverpool will always be a club that means a great deal to me and to my family. I want to see it succeed for long after I have moved on."As I’ve always said, qualifying to next season’s Champions League is the bare minimum and I will do everything I can to make that happen."

The Egyptian will depart Anfield after Sunday's season final game of the season against Brentford.

Image source, Getty Images

Indeed - let’s remind ourselves exactly what Mohamed Salah posted on his socials...