After three games in charge of Liverpool, Arne Slot has enjoyed as close to a perfect start as possible. The Dutchman’s team head into the international break with nine points and zero goals conceded, further boosted by a jaunt of a victory over their arch-rivals, Manchester United.
Slot is yet to use a player who was not available to Jürgen Klopp, opting for small adjustments across the pitch as he gets everyone on his wavelength. A great communicator and calming character, Slot encountered one of few negatives across his 270 minutes in needing to withdraw Jarell Quansah at half-time of the opening victory at Ipswich, concerned by the number of duels the 21-year-old defender lost.
It was an indication that alongside the jovial demeanour, Slot is happy to make difficult decisions. It was proven to be the right choice; Ibrahima Konaté replaced Quansah and Slot stuck with the same lineup for wins over Brentford and United, as teams struggled to lay a glove on Liverpool. Slot has become the third manager in the Premier League era to win their first three matches in England’s top tier without conceding. José Mourinho at Chelsea achieved the feat in 2004 and Sven Göran-Eriksson did so three years later at Manchester City. All included a victory against Manchester United.
Four of the back five at Liverpool have been settled for a long time, when fitness has allowed. It is an experienced unit of Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson. Quansah and Konaté have fought to be the second centre-back alongside the captain and the judgment has been made on who has the shirt at this point.
Erik ten Hag dreams of a stable defence. He brought in Matthijs de Ligt for a full debut alongside Lisandro Martínez to create the latest centre-back pairing in a cast of characters that has changed on an almost weekly basis over the past 14 months. Consistency in football is imperative because knowing what you are getting from the player next to you helps someone to do their own job better.
One problem that curtailed Liverpool’s title challenge last season was a porous defence which conceded too many shots. Making sure Alisson is not kept busy is part of the new mantra under Slot. Alexander-Arnold can still move into midfield and Robertson is afforded the luxury of pushing forward to help attacks down the left but it is not at the detriment of stability. The manager was still critical of Alexander-Arnold’s passing at Old Trafford because standards have to be maintained even when cruising.
A settled defence has helped those in front to adapt with their roles knowing the final line is well-drilled. Without a defensive midfielder eager to break up play, Liverpool are more about keeping the ball, with Ryan Gravenberch the No 6. He may not be the first into a tackle but he showed at Old Trafford how well he reads the game, intercepting Casemiro’s pass and instigating a counterattack that culminated in Luis Díaz heading home to make it 1-0.
Each goal at Old Trafford came from aggression in midfield, with the visitors pressuring United to make mistakes. This will be the routine in all games and sometimes opponents will be able to break the press but Liverpool’s players know they are taking less of a risk because of who they have at the back. Brentford caused problems on the counter at Anfield but there was never panic. Even when chances have been created to test Alisson, the Brazilian has been equal to them, happier with not being overworked and able to maintain concentration with greater tranquillity in front of him.
There is joy and verve to the attacking play, with Slot offering trust and freedom in equal measure to Díaz, Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah. The players want to enjoy and express themselves, something Van Dijk and Konaté do in a different way. The captain orchestrates those in front and manages his teammates on the pitch because he knows where everyone needs to be. The Liverpool defence is the foundation for the team and the season.
Tougher tests lie ahead as Liverpool return to the Champions League and twice-weekly matches. The hectic schedule will result in a need to change personnel to keep people fresh for what will be a long slog of a season for those with ambitions of winning trophies. Ipswich were playing their first game in the Premier League for two decades, Brentford were without a recognised striker and United are short of confidence and competence but keeping each side out strengthens the mindset and reinforces within Liverpool that Slot’s way is the right one.
Liverpool won their opening three games without conceding in 2018-19, going on to secure 97 points, only to finish runners-up to Manchester City, who have had a decent start themselves. Last season Liverpool completed 10 shutouts in 38 games on their way to third, whereas City, the champions, had 13 and Arsenal 18, an indication improvements need to be made to battle for the title. The early signs are promising. As Sir Alex Ferguson said: “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.”
