Ahead of Liverpool's game at home to Ipswich Town on Saturday, Reds coach Arne Slot has refuted suggestions his team are the best in the world.

The Premier League leaders come into the fixture on a 17-match unbeaten run, having also secured a top-eight spot in the Champions League with a game to spare by beating Lille 2-1 on Tuesday.

Last weekend, Brentford coach Thomas Frank described Liverpool as the best in the business after seeing his team beaten 2-0 by two late Darwin Nunez goals. 

Slot, however, disagrees, saying: "No. I think we have a lot of quality and our players work really hard. If Thomas Frank says this, then it means something.

"He's been in the Premier League a long time and doesn't have a lot of resources, so if he gives this compliment then it is nice. I can come up with five or six teams who are also very good.

"Every time we win it is by small margins. They understand how hard we have to work for a win. Bayern Munich are very good and Barcelona beat Benfica 5-4.

"The privilege of managing Liverpool is you have more than 11 good players. You know how tough this competition is and the Premier League and it's up to the players to be ready if they get a chance."

Ipswich coach Kieran McKenna, meanwhile, has suggested Saturday's game will be the toughest of the season for the relegation candidates.

"The players are working hard and they know we have climbed a mountain really quickly. There are going to be some difficult days, we don't use that as an excuse," he said.

"We are grateful for the way the fans have stuck with us. We need to analyse the things we need to do better and then it is on to Liverpool.

"Liverpool away is as tough as what's out there."

The Tractor Boys were hammered 6-0 by Manchester City last Sunday but McKenna was keen to point out how impressed he was with his players, acknowledging the gap in quality.

"They were outstanding and when that's the case, the gulf between us was too much on the day. Once they got the first goal they played really well, our confidence did drop and they caused us a lot of promise individually," he said.

"The players showed some good character in the last 25 minutes. In a difficult moment, in the last 20 minutes they regrouped well. We had to take our medicine and work hard to stop Man City."

7 - Liverpool boss Arne Slot is only the second manager in UEFA Champions League history to win each of his first seven games in charge of a club, after Hansi Flick with Bayern Munich (won first seven between 2019-2021). Dominant. pic.twitter.com/vCNCtYYnE3

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 21, 2025

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Liverpool – Mohamed Salah

Salah is the Premier League's leading player for both goals (18) and assists (13) this season.

He comes into this match with four goals in his last five appearances at Anfield, while he has netted a total of 22 across all competitions this campaign.

Ipswich – Liam Delap

Delap has scored eight goals in the Premier League this season, which is at least twice as many as any other Ipswich player.

The 21-year-old has netted in four of his last seven appearances away from Portman Road in the league, while he also scored against top-four side Chelsea in late December.

MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN

Liverpool come into this match with just one defeat in their last 29 matches in all competitions (W23 D5), having also beaten Ipswich by an aggregate score of 13-0 in their last three league meetings.

The hosts also have an impressive record against Premier League newbies, having won their last 10 home games against promoted sides by an aggregate score of 34-7 since a 1-0 loss to Fulham in March 2021.

They are unbeaten in their last 17 league games, with their only defeat of the season so far coming at home to Nottingham Forest in September.

That is the longest unbeaten run any Liverpool manager has had in their first season at the helm since 1893-94.

Liverpool also have a higher expected goals (xG) total than any other side in the Premier League this season (50.2), while only Southampton (52.6) have a higher xG against than Ipswich (45.8).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Liverpool – 81.4%

Draw – 10.8%

Ipswich – 7.9%