Liverpool entered this match in sore need of a win. 4 straight Premier League losses will create that air of desperation. And given the result mid-week, Arne Slot and the rest of the squad certainly felt
waves of pressure. Thankfully, Liverpool were able to earn the W with the kind of play that should inspire some confidence across the fanbase. With this win in the books, then, let’s talk about how it happened as we saw it.
Winners and Losers
Winners
Mohamed Salah
The Egyptian King still isn’t at his best, but that’s a goal in back-to-back league matches and, if I recall correctly, both one-time snapshots with his weak foot. The timing of his runs still aren’t lining up and his touch still leaves him, but what we witnessed today was much closer to the Mohamed Salah that Kopites have come to expect. In fact there were a few moments where we saw the return of the tough-to-dispossess, absolutely slippery dribbler that lit the league alight. Here’s hoping this portends something positive for the whole group.
Clean Sheets
Liverpool’s defense this season has looked a bit haggard and during this recent skid, could be described as outright disastrous. Nothing has looked quite right between trying to bed in new signings and adjust to injuries along the way. Today, though, the defense looked up for it and managed to do enough – including putting up an incredibly stingy second half – to keep Aston Villa at bay.
Liverpool’s Front Press
Liverpool’s spent much of the last few matches being the ones stymied by opposing presses; a perverse inversion of the Liverpool that developed under Jurgen Klopp, where space and passing lanes were effectively cut and possession won back quickly. At Anfield, it looked like a return to form as Liverpool’s press consistently threw Villa off guard. Unay Emery’s men looked an absolute mess trying to play out from the back and Liverpool were more than happy to keep ratcheting up the pressure and maintaining possession. Perhaps most importantly, it felt like when a press was triggered, there wasn’t an easily exploitable space left open. You almost couldn’t blame Villa defenders panicking because replays showed that Liverpool defenders were clearly marking the best outlet options. It was a masterful tactical display from Arne Slot and perfect execution from the players.
Dissecting the Narrative
Mo Salah potentially hitting form and Liverpool keeping a clean sheet have already been mentioned so let’s talk a little bit about the talking point that seemed to emerge after Brentford: Liverpool are soft. I will note that while I felt this was overblown, I did notice at least one occasion when a player maybe pulled up in a 50/50 in the previous match and was a bit miffed.
It’s important to note, though, that even under Klopp, I’m not sure that “physical” is what I would have ever called us. Yes, our team tended to put in a shift and with players like James Milner and Fabinho one would never describe us as light in the tackle. But we weren’t exactly Tony Pulis’ dream squad, right? Still, Liverpool players came out today and played a similarly controlled game, but with an edge. The team clearly felt like it had something to prove and put in the kind of shift that fans of hard work would all appreciate. Here’s hoping the bring a similar grit and steel on Tuesday, when Real Madrid pay a visit to Anfield.
How The Players/Manager Reacted
It was really, really great to see Liverpool players going strong into 50/50s, running hard through challenges, and generally working their tails off. It was clear that the team wanted to send a strong message to all supporters out there that this club isn’t writing the season off. There’s a mountain to climb, sure, but this squad is determined that it’s made of the type of stuff needed to pull off precisely that kind of a result in the Premier League.
What Happens Next
As mentioned earlier, Real Madrid pay Anfield a visit on Tuesday, which would be big enough news on its own but now involves the homecoming of one Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Anfield crowd will no doubt be up for it, and given the energy that the lads displayed today, there’s no reason to expect anything differently of the team. Especially given how much the fans will be craving their own special European Night at Anfield.
