Liverpool lay strong foundations for title challenge in early months under Slot

For Liverpool supporters to temper their expectations of their side for this season would have been understandable, if not advisable.

After the club won every title possible throughout manager Jurgen Klopp’s illustrious eight-and-a-half years at Anfield, the pressure on the German’s successor was always going to be immense, no matter who that was. 

Arne Slot agreed to take on that pressure when he took the giant step forward in his managerial career to replace the iconic Klopp as Liverpool manager.

Having never managed outside of the Netherlands, the weight of managing one of Europe’s biggest clubs in arguably the biggest league in the world was previously entirely unfamiliar to him. 

A perfect fit between club and coach

That weight has thus far been more than manageable for Slot, whose side enjoy a five point cushion atop the Premier League after ten matches and sit top of the Champions League, with a perfect record, after four.

The former Feyenoord coach has eased into his new position as seamlessly as anyone could have hoped. 

In terms of both personality and his team set-up, Slot has certainly implemented a calmer approach than his predecessor.

In possession, Liverpool now prioritize control of the ball before they attempt to progress up the pitch, a stark contrast to the urgent and high tempo, and direct attacking football under Klopp.

Off the ball, the Reds now sit back in greater numbers rather than relentlessly press their opponents to win the ball back as soon and as high up the pitch as possible.

The new style of football might not be as exciting to watch, but it’s thus far proven remarkably effective. Liverpool have conceded four fewer goals than they did last season in the Premier League at this stage of the campaign and have tallied 28 points, four more than what their 24 after eleven matches in 2023/2024. 

Title credentials have been proven

Liverpool have firmly put to rest the idea that their strong start to the campaign was largely because their opening ten fixtures were against less challenging sides. Liverpool’s last seven matches have come against Chelsea, Arsenal, Leipzig, Brighton (once in the League Cup and once in the league), Leverkusen and Aston Villa.

Only against Arsenal did they fail to win and even then they still managed a respectable 2-2 draw at the Emirates, where their last two league visits ended in defeat. 

That Liverpool have come out on top even when they’ve performed below their best is another indication of their title challenging credentials.

Slot’s side had to grind out their victories against the likes of Wolves, Chelsea, and Brighton and were second best for large spells against Arsenal, but still emerged with 10 out of a possible 12 points from those fixtures. 

The rewards for the quality Liverpool have exhibited early on are five and nine point respective advantages over Manchester City and Arsenal, their two strongest challengers for the league title.

Much of the campaign still remains, however, and Liverpool supporters will be wary of how their side collapsed in the final weeks of last season when in a strong position to win the title.

Whether the Reds can maintain their consistency down the line, particularly when Manchester City and Arsenal inevitably rediscover theirs after a difficult few weeks, will be the deciding factor in where in the table they’re positioned when the league wraps up. 

Even if Liverpool ultimately fall short of the title once again, most of the club’s supporters would still consider it a respectable first season for Slot if he can keep his side in the conversation for top spot in the latter stages of the season.

It’s unrealistic to expect Slot to immediately build a title winning side in his image, particularly after the only addition to the squad this summer was Federico Chiesa.  

However, at least at the moment, Slot’s project at Liverpool is ahead of schedule.