Liverpool Football Club recently endured its toughest week yet under Arne Slot, suffering successive defeats to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray, and Chelsea — the first time the Reds have gone three matches without a point since March-April 2023.
As discouraging as this stretch may feel, it’s important to keep perspective: Liverpool remain second in the Premier League table, just one point behind leaders Arsenal, and it’s still far too early to judge which squads are in a strong enough position to progress beyond the Champions League league phase.
Fortunately for the club, the international break may have arrived at the perfect time, offering management a chance to assess what went wrong over the past three matches and determine how Liverpool can hit the ground running when domestic and European play resumes.
So, what are three concrete steps the club can take during the international break on Merseyside while its players are away on national team duty?
1. Examining Arne Slot’s tactics
There’s no question that Arne Slot has already established himself as one of English football’s brightest managers after improbably winning the Premier League in his first season in charge.
But even the best coaches will admit that, during a rough patch, it’s worth reassessing whether their preferred tactics are still working at the moment.
It’s worth noting that the Dutchman used the same 4-2-3-1 formation in all three aforementioned defeats, during which the Reds struggled to create clear attacking opportunities — scoring only twice and managing just 10 shots on target.
Interestingly, the 4-2-3-1 hasn’t just featured in those three defeats — it’s been Slot’s formation of choice in every match this season, a somewhat surprising trend given how tactically flexible he proved to be last year.
It makes sense that Slot would favor a formation he opted for often last season in order to accommodate a talented midfield that has become even more crowded this campaign, but could it be smart to shake things up and return to a 4-3-3 upon return to competition?
Some of Liverpool’s most impressive results last season — including a 2-0 win over Real Madrid and a 4-0 rout of Bayer Leverkusen — came while playing in a 4-3-3.
Beyond the formation’s proven attacking output and defensive solidity, reverting to it could also raise standards in midfield, forcing players to earn their places upon return to training — perhaps motivating someone like Florian Wirtz, who will be eager to make a tangible impact after the break.
It would be extremely premature to lose faith in the manager after what has largely been a golden start to his tenure; I firmly believe Slot is more than capable of using the break to reflect and rediscover his best tactical approach going forward.
2. Assessing player’s minutes
Beyond analyzing formations, it may also be worth examining which players are receiving too much playing time— and which ones aren’t getting enough.
One area where a shakeup in playing time might be needed is on Liverpool’s wings, where both Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo have struggled to consistently generate creativity and deliver match-changing moments this season.
In the Premier League, Salah (630 minutes, 4 G/A) and Gakpo (556 minutes, 4 G/A) have taken the lion’s share of minutes on Liverpool’s wings, but one player stands out as deserving far more playing time: Federico Chiesa.
The Italian has been given a fraction of the minutes of his position mates, logging just over an hour of Premier League action.
Despite playing roughly one-tenth of Salah’s time, Chiesa has produced impressive results, scoring the winning goal against Bournemouth on opening night and equalizing against Crystal Palace.
Chiesa has repeatedly shown his ability to influence games, even dating back to last season when he scored Liverpool’s only goal in the Carabao Cup final loss against Newcastle— appearing to be the sole quality attacker despite playing just over 15 minutes.
Giving Salah as many opportunities as possible to build momentum makes sense, given his stellar 2024/25 campaign.
Yet, Slot has already signaled that he wants more from the Egyptian King, leaving him on the bench to start against Galatasaray— the first time Salah has been omitted from a Liverpool Champions League starting XI since October 2022.
I’m by no means suggesting that Salah be “punished” for his slow start, but the team must always come first.
Mo was Liverpool’s Superman last season, changing game after game; yet given the Reds’ recent string of worrying results, I believe management should seriously consider shaking up playing time on the wings.
3. Putting full focus on beating United
The first two points obviously outline ways Liverpool can prepare to return to form after the break, but the single most important task for the club is devising the best strategy to beat Manchester United in their first match back.
The eternal rivals visit Anfield on Oct. 19, and dropping points at home to a rival that Liverpool has performed well against in recent years would only heighten the tense atmosphere surrounding the club.
Slot and his staff will undoubtedly be looking for the best ways to secure three points against the Red Devils, and fortunately for him, several teams have already exposed weaknesses in United’s play this season.
Take United’s recent 3-1 defeat to Brentford: in a vintage performance, former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, alongside Mikkel Damsgaard, dominated the midfield, controlling the tempo and disrupting United’s build-up play all game long.
Fortunately, Liverpool have a midfielder capable of excelling on the ball while fulfilling defensive duties in Ryan Gravenberch, who has been one of the Reds’ standout performers this season.
By studying how Brentford’s midfield bossed United, Slot could use that footage to determine the best way to deploy his versatile No. 6 in what promises to be one of the most important matches of the season.
While questions about Salah's playing time versus Chiesa’s are still valid, they may be set aside for the Northwest Derby, given his remarkable record of 19 goals and assists against United.
Ruben Amorim’s preferred 3–4–2–1 formation also leaves ample space in wide areas for opponents to create chances, and there’s little doubt that Slot will be considering how to best set up Salah to exploit this opportunity and regain confidence in the process.
Liverpool have an impressive record of five wins, four draws, and one loss in their last ten Premier League meetings with United.
Management will unquestionably be looking to use the international break to gain every possible advantage to ensure it becomes six wins from eleven when play resumes in just over a week.