What is Sunderland's greatest ever Premier League XI?
Sunderland face Liverpool in the Premier League on Wednesday evening.
The Black Cats travel to Anfield on Wednesday evening hoping to build on a stunning comeback victory over Bournemouth at the weekend, and have also already taken points from more than one perceived title contender this term.
Back in October, they battled their way to a 2-1 win away at Stamford Bridge, before holding league leaders Arsenal to a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light last month. And as a consequence, Slot has admitted that his team should be wary heading into their midweek clash with Le Bris’ men.
What did Liverpool boss Arne Slot say about Sunderland?
When asked about Sunderland in a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, the Dutchman said: “Yeah, a big compliment for the manager because they brought in a lot of new players and they started off so well. I saw the game Chelsea against Arsenal on our way back home [from West Ham on Sunday]. Very high standard game, two teams that were fighting each other, working so hard, all the players on the pitch.
“And then I was aware of the fact that Sunderland was the team that beat Chelsea in their stadium and had a draw against Arsenal... So you can look at the league table and by looking at them, how good they have done until now. But after that game, knowing that Sunderland is a team that beat Chelsea and had a draw against Arsenal tells you how strong they must be.”
Reflecting on the Black Cats’ 3-2 victory over Bournemouth, and the resilience it showed, Slot added: “Another game where a set-piece was also very important for them in this situation. So yeah, they've shown great mentality but not only great mentality, the style they play, the risk they take when they don't have the ball. Very high pace game.
“Players are working so, so, so hard, all 11 of them, to get a result. That's also what I saw with Chelsea and Arsenal. And if you play Chelsea and Arsenal and you don't do this with 11, you have no chance of winning. So that's why they must be a team that does this. And that's what I saw when I looked at them yesterday and I'm going to watch more of them today. So a very hard-working team with also a very clear identity, how they want to play off the ball and on the ball.”
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Slot also pointed out the similarities he sees between Sunderland and PSV Eindhoven - who beat Liverpool 4-1 in the Champions League last week. Discussing the Dutch outfit’s tactical flexibility and their ability to press opponents in different ways, the Reds boss said: “Sunderland are a similar team... Sunderland combines both, so they are either pressing you really high or 11 players defend in and around their 18 with all they have, and that's why they are such a difficult team to play against.”
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