It’s been sometime since Liverpool have felt like the play and results have felt like they were reflective of defending champions. With their comprehensive 2-nil victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday,
Liverpool can not only claim back-to-back victories, but also point to a current streak of 5 matches unbeaten.
For head coach Arne Slot, it’s clear that while the point is to bring victories, being able to keep the opposition out of the goal is a prime objective. So, it’s unsurprising that Slot would have mentioned keeping this clean sheet – and the others within this solid run for the Reds – within the remarks he gave following the match.
“In my opinion, we are starting to play better and better on the ball as well. And from the last five games we’ve played, we kept three clean sheets and that is something to build on, especially after conceding four against PSV [Eindhoven] and three against Nottingham Forest.”
Lots of talk has surrounded the club, especially through the difficult stretch they seem to be climbing out of, with much of it focusing on the seeming difficulty of the coaching staff to find the right balance between defense and attack given the new offensive weapons acquired during the transfer windows. If this match were to serve as an indicator of progress on that project, though, the boss would have you think there’s more work to be done.
“That’s funny, this is what people now say if you win 2-0 and then all of a sudden we were solid. But I think we conceded in one game more than we did in the last four games. But now all of a sudden it’s solid because we won the game. And when we had a draw or are conceding in the last minute against Leeds, I assume that people weren’t as positive as after this game.”
While it might seem harsh to assess what felt a solid victory as something that should be improved, the stats say the boss isn’t far off. According to Opta, the xG battle actually went – ever so marginally – towards Brighton, with a draw being a pretty fair assessment based on the data set.
Liverpool fans, though, would have found it rather harsh given how well the team looked moving forward with scuffed chances from Mohamed Salah among them. And speaking of the Egyptian goalscorer, it was inevitable given the past week that Slot would be asked about the relationship with Mo. The Dutchman gave a straightforward refusal to get drawn in, though, opting to toe a line that expressed clear respect and admiration but provided nothing in terms of specifics on the current state of things.
“I think the reason why he wasn’t in Milan was his interview and the question is always – and everybody has a different opinion about that – should he be once, twice, three times, four times, four months, 12 years… every manager makes [a] different decision in that. He wasn’t involved in the game against Milan, I spoke to him yesterday and usually I never say anything about what we talk about, I am not going to make an exception now but I think actions speak louder than what has been said. He was in the squad again and when I had to make my first substitution, I brought him in and he performed as I think every fan – including me – would like him to perform today.”
All told, it’s the type of professional media appearance you’d expect from a top-flight manager. Slot has come in for a lot of criticism over the past week with some it being warranted and a surprising amount seeming to be pot-shots at a coach trying to manage a grieving football club through a difficult patch on the pitch. It is not an excuse for the poor results, but it certainly helps me to maintain a certain perspective on Slot and the lads; that this season is a gift and the matches will be opportunities for the squad to band closer together.
It’s not the most rigorous approach to sport and fandom, but with a Premier League trophy in tow and the weight of losing a friend overshadowing things, I’m having a hard time mustering up too much angst – even when things were going wrong. I’m happy for every day we get to see this group and, in particular, the opportunity to watch the remnants of Klopp’s core try to figure out if they’ve got one more evolution in them.
I’ve counted this team out before and they’ve managed to surprise. Maybe, this season, it’ll all click and we’ll get a run of form to rival anything we’ve seen before. But on the off-chance that doesn’t happen, I’m just glad this team is trending in the right direction. Progress. That’s all I need.
