Arne Slot has expressed confidence that Liverpool's star attacking duo, Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak, will forge a strong partnership despite the team's recent struggles. His comments came after Liverpool suffered a 2-1 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, October 4, 2025, marking their third consecutive loss in all competitions.

The Reds, who are the reigning Premier League champions, have relinquished their top spot in the league to Arsenal following this defeat. Prior to the Chelsea game, they also suffered losses against Crystal Palace in the Premier League and Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Despite the setbacks, Slot remains optimistic about the potential of Salah and Isak playing together. "The more they play together the more they will connect," the Liverpool manager said. He acknowledged that the team needs to improve its consistency and that changes made during the summer, including new player arrivals, have contributed to the current situation. "You have to work really hard to reach a certain level and then it's very hard in football because you also play against very good teams to keep that level going. What I mean by that is consistency," Slot stated.

Liverpool signed Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for a reported £125 million on September 1, 2025, making him the record signing for the club. Slot admitted that he still needs time to get to know Isak, who had a disjointed pre-season. "Maybe you won't believe me but I haven't spoken to him that much," Slot said before Liverpool's trip to Burnley in September.

The manager also defended Salah's recent form, despite the Egyptian forward missing several chances in recent games. "What I like is that we brought him many times in the position he would like to be in," Slot said. "And I would like him to be in because he's shown in his career and since I'm here that in those positions he can score goals," he added.

Liverpool's pre-season preparations included a tour of Asia, with matches in Hong Kong and Japan. They played against AC Milan in Hong Kong's new Kai Tak Sports Park and Yokohama F. Marinos in Yokohama. The team also had a unique double-header at Anfield against Athletic Bilbao on August 4. Liverpool began their pre-season with a 3-1 victory over Preston North End on July 13. However, tragedy struck when Diogo Jota died in a car accident in Spain in early July, casting a shadow over the team's preparations.

Looking ahead, Liverpool will host Manchester United after the international break. Slot believes that better finishing would have prevented the losses against Chelsea and Crystal Palace. "In both games we've created more chances than the team we have faced but the truth is that we have only scored once in both games and our opponent has scored twice," he said.