Beating Real Madrid and Man City has cemented Liverpool's title ambitions

Last season, Liverpool faced Manchester City twice and walked away with two hard-fought draws. On paper, the results suggested parity, but in reality, Liverpool played on the defensive, merely surviving amidst a mounting injury crisis. Despite the lack of wins, those draws felt more like narrow escapes.

This season, however, the revamped Liverpool has a different look. Under new manager Arne Slot, Liverpool showcased their renewed vigor, securing a convincing 2-0 victory over City at Anfield this Sunday.

Fans beamed with joy as the Reds not only competed but dominated, sending a clear message to the league: Liverpool is back for racing the title.

How Slot’s Adjustment Helped Liverpool Set the Tone

Even with injury setbacks—including the confirmed absences of Ibrahima Konaté and Conor Bradley—Slot remained unfazed.

On the other hand, he grasped the hope of Trent Alexander-Arnold who recovered and returned to the squad. Meanwhile, Slot also entrusted Joe Gomez to fill the void left by Konaté, and Gomez, alongside Virgil van Dijk, formed a formidable barrier against City's Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian striker on the opposite side, usually an unignorable threat in the box, found himself isolated and ineffective under their marking, thanks to Gomez’s composed defending and smart positioning.

Alexander-Arnold also delivered an outstanding performance after coming back from injury. His pinpoint long ball in the 11th minute set up Liverpool’s opening goal, allowing Mo Salah to create a goal-scoring chance for Cody Gakpo near the goal.

This season, he silenced doubters who criticized his fragile defensive outlook, proving himself as a solid defender with timely tackles on Ruben Dias and Jeremy Doku, showing how far he has come in transforming his defensive game.

As City wrestled back possession in the second half, Slot made subtle but impactful adjustments. Rather than chasing the ball, Liverpool embraced their pressing game back.

Though they held only 43.8% possession this match, they continued crafting more chances and forcing mistakes from City’s side.

When Liverpool needed a second goal to seal the win, Slot’s substitutions proved decisive. Moving Luis Diaz to the left and bringing on Darwin Nunez for Gakpo provided fresh energy.

Nunez’s relentless pressing and invaluable mentality on physical contacts set the tone, ultimately contributing to Diaz’s offensive action that earned a penalty. Every tweak Slot made seemed minor, but collectively they built toward a moment of triumph.

"Slot Ball" makes the Kopites Believe

Since a disheartening 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in September, Liverpool has been unbeaten in 10 consecutive matches, including a long-awaited victory against Real Madrid on the Champions League battlefield.

For Reds supporters, the win over Madrid was monumental—Liverpool’s first since Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres directed the 4-0 feat in 2009.

Liverpool entered this season with humble expectations, focusing on preserving energy, adapting to Slot’s system and aiming for a top-four seat rather than contending for the Premier League crown. Yet, recent performances suggest something bigger is brewing.

The similarities with the 2019-20 title-winning campaign are striking. Back then, Liverpool started strong, defeating City and holding an eight-point lead over second place.

Now, they sit nine points clear of the competition, 11 points ahead of City, and with momentum firmly on their side. Confidence is building, and the dream of reclaiming the title seems within reach.

Slot remained prudent after the back-to-back wins over two of the biggest powerhouses in Europe, but his words in the post-match press conference indicated his growing belief.

Liverpool may have begun this season humbly, but under Slot, the whole squad and fans are qualified for dreaming bigger.

“We're really happy with these two wins, but we also understand if we want to achieve more than this then winning once or twice – even against these big teams – is not enough to win anything in the end of the season,” Slot said.