Arne Slot points to key factor driving form of 'outstanding' Liverpool midfielder | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot pointed out that Curtis Jones' impressive uptick in form has coincided with the birth of his first child.

Jones spent the night before Chelsea's visit to Anfield in October sleeping in his spare room to ensure he was fully rested after welcoming his daughter Giselle home. The Liverpool academy graduate promptly lit up the lofty Premier League clash, earning the penalty which Mohamed Salah coolly dispatched before bursting into the box to stab in what proved to be the winning goal. Jones fittingly celebrated by sucking his thumb.

Slot has repeatedly leaned upon Jones over the subsequent weeks and highlighted the life-changing development which prompted his improved output. "His performances dropped a bit but from the moment he became a father he has been outstanding again," Liverpool's boss told the assembled media ahead of his side's Premier League meeting with Aston Villa on Sunday.

"With Curtis, he became a fighter and I had nothing to do with that. Since the moment he became a father he started putting great performances in. He already did in the first few weeks of pre-season and I thought he was a quality player."

Curtis Jones celebrates Liverpool's winner against Chelsea / Carl Recine/GettyImages

After snuffing out Cole Palmer's considerable threat during that 2-1 victory over Chelsea, a jubilant Jones hailed the arrival of his daughter. "It's the best thing ever," he told Sky Sports. "I'm playing with a smile on my face. It's a different type of joy. She's a little dream."

Jones had to pull out of England's squad during October's international break to be present for the birth of his first child, but will get another opportunity to make his belated senior debut after receiving a call-up for November's Nations League fixtures.

Slot added that "how the team plays" was also a factor in Jones' stellar displays of late.

"He has a lot of qualities on the ball," the Dutch coach gushed, "when he has it he's never afraid to do something special. Sometimes he is a bit too over-confident but confidence is important. He also has an incredibly high work-rate and we can trust him defensively. You saw how he performed against Cole Palmer. If he wants to continue progressing he has to show every three days these performances."