John Arne Riise thinks Arne Slot's calm and collected demeanour is behind Liverpool's blistering season. Slot, 46, has steered the Reds to a six-point lead at the Premier League summit, which they preserved with a 2-0 away victory over Bournemouth. Should the Reds clinch a win against Everton in the rescheduled Merseyside Derby on February 12, their lead could stretch to as much as nine points. The ex-Feyenoord manager also has the chance this Thursday to secure Liverpool a spot in the Carabao Cup final, although they'll need to reverse a 1-0 deficit from the first leg against Tottenham Hotspur. Nobody was sure how the team would perform under Slot after he took over from Jurgen Klopp in the summer.

Riise, who won the Champions League, the League Cup and the FA Cup between 2001 and 2008 at Liverpool, believes he knows just where the Dutchman has been so pivotal. While speaking to the Liverpool Echo on behalf of Bet365, Riise said: "Well, I think everybody was a little bit excited and didn't know what to expect, really, when he arrived. Obviously, we didn't know that much about him, apart from that he did really well at his former club.

"But he just came in with a calmness. I've been lucky to meet him a couple of times now while at Anfield and the way he speaks, how he looks on the bench during the games, he looks so in control. "He knows what he's doing. The players are responding to his tactics in training, so he looks like he and his coaching team are really taking the players into it and they love it.". Considering the Reds only signed Federico Chiesa from Juventus in his first transfer window, Slot has defied expectations in emphatic fashion. While also scaling to the top of the Premier League, they were also dominant in the Champions League, recording seven victories in eight matches, including convincing triumphs over Real Madrid, AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen.

They have quickly become many people's favourite to win Europe's elite competition as well as the Premier League. Riise is one of those figures who believe Liverpool could do something really special this season. The Norwegian added: "I think, as myself and many others, are a little bit surprised by how well they've done in both the Premier League and in the Champions League. I think they play outstanding football.

"Arne Slot has come on with some ideas and really changed, well, just kept going from Jurgen Klopp and made it even better. So, I think they can go all the way. "But I think it's going to be tough because, obviously, the Champions League is only two games and a lot can happen. But I think in the Premier League, for sure, I think we're going to win.". After hosting Tottenham at Anfield in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final on Thursday, the Reds travel down to the south west for an FA Cup fourth-round clash with Plymouth Argyle on Sunday.

John Arne Riise was speaking on behalf of bet365, Official Global Partner of the UEFA Champions League. To celebrate the partnership, bet365 is giving away free tickets to the knockout phases as part of The Big UEFA Champions League ticket giveaway. Visit www.bet365.com for more information. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.