Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net

Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Arne Slot has responded to claims that his side were lucky in their Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain midweek.

The first leg of this heavyweight Champions League last-16 tie showcased an astonishing display of resilience, fortune, and clinical opportunism from the Premier League leaders.

The statistics tell a story that defies the final scoreline.

PSG launched an extraordinary 28 attempts on the Liverpool goal compared to the visitors’ mere two shots throughout the 90 minutes.

The French champions enjoyed 65 percent possession and pinned Liverpool back from the opening whistle, creating chance after chance in what appeared to be a relentless siege of the English side’s penalty area.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who joined PSG from Napoli for £59 million in January, thought he had opened the scoring on 20 minutes when he curled a beautiful shot beyond Alisson into the far corner, only for it to be disallowed for a marginal offside decision after VAR review.

The evening became a personal showcase for Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who produced what many have described as the performance of his life, making nine crucial saves to keep the scoreline level.

And in his pre-Southampton press conference, Arne Slot has admitted that his side were ‘very lucky’ – but mentioned a Michael Jordan quote in his assessment of the game:

“I’ll leave a little bit out, we were really, really, really lucky?

But as Michael Jordan once said ‘the harder you work, the more luck you have’ and this is the biggest compliment we have to give the players.”

“They’ve worked incredibly hard and I think even the second-half we didn’t control ball possession, we were not the dominant team at all… but we controlled them better than in the first-half.”

“That also has to do with the players being able continue after playing 45 minutes where the other team had the ball a lot, having to defend so much, mentally so strong and physically so strong.”

“Even scoring a goal on the counterattack, it shows a physically and mentally strong these players are.”

Read More: 4 Southampton players return from injury for Liverpool game

Want to get the latest Liverpool news direct to your phone