Arne Slot has not been getting enough credit for Liverpool’s stunning start to the season, but getting one over on FSG’s No.1 candidate will do him no harm…
Liverpool v Bayer Leverkusen promised a great deal given all the pre-match noise surrounding a game pitting FSG’s No.1 candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp against the back-up option.
But as is so often the case with overhyped matches, the actual action on the field – especially in the opening half – was not as thrilling as hoped. The two well-coached sides nullified each other, but this was far from the case after the interval.
The post-Klopp succession plan has put their arch-rivals in Manchester to shame. The introduction of Arne Slot has been remarkably seamless as Liverpool have carried on from where they left off under their beloved former boss.
Under Slot, Liverpool have occasionally reverted to type to produce electrifying moments of brilliance, as seen in their 2-1 comeback win against Brighton at the weekend. But these moments have been far more fleeting since the Dutchman’s style of play made his team more resolute.
So far this has reaped extraordinary results as Premier League and Champions League leaders Liverpool have been a winning machine this season.
Slot has perhaps earned the affection of Liverpool’s supporters sooner than expected, but we can only imagine the reaction to Liverpool’s incredible form if Klopp was still in the dugout or had club legend Alonso got the job instead.
This is no fault of Slot. He has barely got anything wrong in an almost pitch-perfect start to the season, with his best decision perhaps to opt against making wholesale changes.
Slot’s minimal tinkering is all that was required to make Liverpool a more complete outfit. Should his side come out of this gruelling run of fixtures unscathed, any reluctance to laud the not-so-adored Dutch head coach will surely evaporate in the heat of what could be a pretty special debut season.
The former Feyenoord boss had a chance to take another step closer to being a cult hero at Anfield on Tuesday night as he attempted to get one over Alonso.
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The first half was poor as two risk-avoiding rivals played out a closely-contested 45 minutes which lacked chances but was rich in well-drilled focus on a game plan and defensive solidity.
Leverkusen – who had a goal disallowed as Jeremie Frimpong helped to set up his shot past Caoimhin Kelleher with his hand – dominated possession, and Florian Wirtz gave Liverpool a couple of headaches with his constant drifting between positions.
While Liverpool showed flashes of promise, they needed to increase their intensity levels and produce a moment of brilliance to get any joy against Alonso’s side.
Fortunately for Liverpool, this has been a hallmark of life under Slot and the second half was far better from their perspective.
Just past the hour mark, Curtis Jones continued his recent resurgence to play a sublime pass to Luis Diaz, who also produced another flash of excellence as he dinked the ball over goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and into the net.
When Liverpool score at Anfield, their first goal is often quickly followed by a second, and this was the case here. A previously rock-solid Leverkusen were cut open again a couple of minutes after the opening as a speedy attack led to a pinpoint cross from Mohamed Salah, which was headed home at the far post by Cody Gakpo.
It felt like game over when Liverpool got their second, but the win was sealed when they scored their third in the final ten minutes as Diaz took his turn to get on the end of a Salah cross for his second goal. Then in stoppage time, the Colombia international capitalised on a four-on-two situation to complete his hat-trick as the hosts made an almighty statement.
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The scoreline somewhat flattered Liverpool, but they were lethal when their chances came.
This term, Leverkusen have not been performing at the same level as last season when they achieved invincible status in the Bundesliga, with an understandable drop-off endured. But they remain a standout team in this year’s Champions League and this result will rightly raise a few eyebrows in the wider footballing world.
Upcoming tests for Liverpool are not getting any simpler as Aston Villa come calling on Saturday before a visit to Southampton precedes back-to-back games against Real Madrid and Man City. Woof.
This makes it hard to go all-in on this Liverpool team being the real deal. But presented with a ‘look at what you could have won’ scenario, the Anfield faithful would be wise to note that they remain on the winning team after another dream evening for Slot, who is sending his remaining doubters packing.
