Liverpool’s win against Chelsea shows key Arne Slot change
Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-1 in a thrilling encounter at Anfield on Sunday
Liverpool passed the first of a series of tests that lie before them in the coming weeks by seeing off Chelsea in an exhilarating match at Anfield. A result that sent the Reds back to the top of the Premier League table after Manchester City had occupied the position early with their late win over Wolves.
Arne Slot’s men, despite their brilliant start to the season still had question marks raised from certain quarters over the quality of opposition they had faced in their first 7 games of the season despite beating Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford. Many felt that a run of 8 games starting with Chelsea at Anfield and finishing with rivals Manchester City at the end of November would determine the Red’s true standing as contenders for the title this season.
But Liverpool passed the first test albeit a keenly contested game at Anfield against a Chelsea side that has not lost on the road this season in the Premier League. The Londoners were second behind Champions City in scoring the most goals in the division until yesterday.
However, Liverpool led by captain Virgil van Dijk also boasts the best defense in the league, conceding only 2 goals (before yesterday).
A key element to this feat is the difference in approach by Arne Slot since taking over from Jurgen Klopp in the summer. The former Feyenoord Manager has reiterated the need to show maturity in seeing out games.
The game management being enforced by the Dutch coach is evidently yielding results. This game plan has been helped by the kind of changes he makes during games, with players coming on to see out games when needed.
Against Bournemouth at Anfield last month, he brought on Curtis Jones for Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa for Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo for Luis Diaz when his side was 3-0 up and altered his formation to a conservative 4-3-3 with Mohamed Salah leading the attack in a false 9 role.
Similar patterns have been seen in wins against AC Milan and Bologna [in the Champions League], West Ham [in the Carabao Cup], and Wolves leading to 10 successive wins since that home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
The performance and recovery of the players have been remarkable as well, with Konate and Van Dijk playing together in almost every match apart from the win against West Ham in the EFL Cup. Trent Alexander-Arnold was eased into full throttle earlier in the season with Conor Bradley replacing him after 70 minutes in the first 4 games of the season. Slot said he had to work on building the vice captain’s fitness back to optimum speed.
Reacting to the media [on comments about the test Chelsea posed] after his side’s win yesterday, Arne Slot said,
“I think it was mostly the media that told us that this was our first big test. I think if you go to Old Trafford against a very strong team like Manchester United is definitely a test as well. I think it was in Friday’s press conference that I said that don’t judge us on this week, you have to judge us after the 7 or [run of] games, and that is what I will also say again now.
“It’s Leipzig on Wednesday, then Arsenal on Sunday, then it’s Brighton [League and Carabao Cup], and then Leverkusen and Aston Villa. So these in my opinion are the biggest tests. To play in the Premier League and the Champions League, all these games three days in a row, This is what City did, Arsenal did two years in a row and you saw how that was difficult for us two years ago.
“I think you saw how difficult it was for United and Newcastle to be involved in it as well, so that is for me, the test.”
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