Liverpool yet to prove they are Europe’s best, Slot says

Liverpool manager Arne Slot believes it is far too early to call his side the best team in Europe as they prepare for Tuesday's Champions League game at home to in-form French side Lille.

Premier League leaders Liverpool beat Brentford 2-0 on Saturday with stoppage time goals from Darwin Nunez which led host manager Thomas Frank to give them that accolade.

"I think it's far too early to say these things. We (are yet) to face a lot of teams," Slot said of Frank's remark.

"But it's always nice to get compliments from a manager who has proved himself in the Premier League."

Liverpool top the Champions League table by three points, having won all six of their games, while Bruno Genesio's Lille are eighth on 13 points in the final automatic qualifying spot.

"When we go out there we want to win a game, you would think as number one it is the best position to end up at but it is such a strange league table," Slot told reporters on Monday.

"Because every week, I think even if you face team lower down the table, they are the hardest team to face (because you have not faced them before). You cannot judge the table and say who is the best right now, we haven't (played) the same teams."

Lille are unbeaten in 21 games in all competitions.

Slot said the French side, who beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 away and Real Madrid 1-0 at home in their last two Champions League games, have not been a surprise but they have impressed him.

"They have deserved every single point ... they drew with Juventus, beat Atletico Madrid, Real and now they face us and then my former club Feyenoord. They haven't been lucky with the fixtures and that's the reason I'm so impressed."

The Dutchman confirmed that while forward Diogo Jota and defender Joe Gomez are not ready for the Lille game their return from injury is a matter of "weeks rather than months".

Slot added that the 25-year-old Nunez, who has six goals with four assists in all competitions after securing the win at Brentford, must still perform more consistently.

"The next step for him will be to go into that group of seven or eight players in the world who can perform at that standard every three days," he said of the striker.

Nunez signed for Liverpool in 2022 in a club record deal reportedly worth up to 85 million euros ($88.36 million).

After hosting Lille, Liverpool's next Champions League game is away to PSV Eindhoven on Jan. 29.