Former Liverpool midfielder, Jan Molby has suggested that halftime team talk by Arne Slot could have been a decisive factor in the Reds’ late onslaught in the draw against Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday.
Liverpool twice came from behind to share the spoils in a thrilling game which saw them end the day in second place, one point behind leaders Manchester City.
Arsenal took a deserved lead after 9 minutes through Bukayo Saka, but Liverpool responded with a Van Dijk header from nine yards after Luis Diaz flicked Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner kick.
The Reds showed why they were the side to have conceded the least goals in the league this season, limiting Arsenal to very few and rare sights at goal, despite the Gunners’ dominance in the first half. However, Arsenal managed to restore their lead two minutes before the break. Mikkel Merino and his teammates had to wait anxiously for VAR’s decision before sprinting towards the home crowd to celebrate his 43rd-minute goal.
Like many times this season, Arne Slot’s Liverpool once again showed that they know how to stay in games even if they don’t play particularly well. A controlled second half saw Liverpool dominance and eventual Mohamed Salah leveler eight minutes from full time.
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And the Danish believes credit should be given to head coach Arne Slot. He was on punditry duty alongside Rob Jones for LFCTVGO watching on from the press area.
Sunday, 27 October, 2024.
Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool
Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold celebrate Liverpool equalizer/ Liverpool FC images
Asked if Liverpool’s improvement after the break was down to Arne Slot, Molby said “We have to get closer. We have to get closer to the opposition, we have to get closer to where the ball is, we have to be more competitive. And that’s what Liverpool was straight away from the first whistle of the second half. You sensed it was Liverpool’s game and Arsenal had to make some changes, which also ran them because you saw the intensity forced Gabriel to pick up an injury and could not continue which Liverpool took advantage of.”
Molby also said he sensed everybody was quite happy with the point, especially looking at how different each half was, with Arsenal dominating the first and Liverpool reacting by taking over the second.
He praised Bukayo Saka’s performance for Arsenal. “I thought Arsenal’s physical presence in the first half gave them confidence. Bukayo Saka did what he does, and played extremely well. They stepped up, they stepped forward and their physical strength gave them a foothold of the game, and Liverpool found it really difficult to get into the game from the start.”
“We can say what we want to about the [Robertson’s] defending, but from an attacking point of view, it was a beautiful goal. The pass was played at the right time, and you always sense in those situations he [Saka] can find a solution, and he comes back inside, Robertson knew he wanted to come back inside, but nothing he could do about it, and then he looked long and put it into the near post and goalkeeper [Kellerher] could do nothing about it. And that’s more proof of the quality that he possesses.”
Jan Molby who scored 44 times for Liverpool between 1982 and 1998 finally had some words for record-breaking Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian’s late goal at the Emirates took his goal contribution against the traditional top 6 to 62 goal involvements in seven seasons.
“In a game that maybe lacked attacking quality at times, there was no doubt that his [Mohamed Salah] quality in that situation was telling. There have been half chances, but you sensed if Nunez gets that ball across, it will be a goal and he obviously had that far corner to put the ball at the back of the net.”
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