Analysis: Liverpool ascends again in the safe hands of Arne Slot

Arne Slot’s appointment to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield as the next Liverpool manager was met with widespread scepticism. Klopp’s nine-and-a-half reign at Anfield was an emotionally charged roller-coaster ride, studded with success and electrifying football. In contrast, Slot’s approach seemed understated.

Ten months into the job, one wouldn’t recall any quotable one-liners from the Dutchman’s press conferences or raging celebrations while punching the air, as his famous predecessor often did. But in just his maiden season, he has got the job done in a calm manner, without any fuss or drama.

Slot (right) has led Liverpool to its first league title in five seasons, lifting the Merseyside club back onto the top perch of English football by matching Manchester United’s record for most league titles after a gap of 14 years.

Klopp, who stepped down last summer, left Slot with enough tools to work with. The German had refreshed the midfield — a key component of successful Liverpool teams — and added more firepower up front. “I am coming to a club that Jurgen left in a good place,” Slot acknowledged in his first interview with liverpoolfc.com.

This team had spent 12 weeks at the top of the table the previous season before crumbling in the second half to finish third. Slot, who had coached Feyenoord to Eredivisie success, was entrusted with implementing his methods and philosophy to help take Liverpool to the next level.

‘Football-obsessed’ was how Trent Alexander-Arnold described him. Several players also pointed out his attention to detail, which made a crucial difference.

Before he walked into the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby, Slot had already analysed Liverpool’s matches from the previous season, including training sessions, to better understand his new players.

“Just before we started the season, he showed us why we didn’t win the league the year before,” said centre-back Ibrahima Konate. “[There were] some details; he said if we improve on those, we have a big chance to win the league.”

But there were other matters too, beyond the Dutchman’s control. In the transfer market, Liverpool failed to land a defensive midfielder, with injury-prone forward Federico Chiesa being the sole last-minute arrival.

There was also a massive cloud hanging over the futures of its three biggest players — Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold — all in the final year of their contracts.

To address the defensive midfield issue, Slot moved Ryan Gravenberch — who had little experience playing as the lone No. 6 before this season — into the role. The Netherlands international has been ever-present in the midfield three, complementing Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Gravenberch became a key member of Liverpool’s midfield after having featured little under Klopp. As a defensive midfielder made the most interceptions among midfielders in the league.
| Photo Credit:
AP

Gravenberch has made the most interceptions among midfielders in the league, while Mac Allister ranks fourth for tackles. Szoboszlai provided the link between defence and attack, allowing Liverpool’s feared front three to do the damage.

Slot didn’t come in looking to dismantle Klopp’s ingrained style. Instead, he made a few adjustments to refine the existing system.

Slot’s Liverpool wasn’t the aggressive counter-pressing side it was under Klopp. Its PPDA (passes allowed per defensive action) dropped to 10.2 (4th best) from 8.9 (2nd) last season. But it exerted more pressures per game, up to 12.56 (5th) from 10.31 (3rd).

The defensive metrics saw an uptick as well, with expected goals (xG) against it dropping to 0.85 (1st), and xG allowed per shot coming down to 0.09 (1st) this season. The proportion of shots allowed from inside its own penalty box has reduced to 61.18% (1st), from 66.4% (8th) last year.

Slot’s men blew away teams at Anfield with the trio of Salah, Luis Diaz (left) and Cody Gakpo running riot.

While Liverpool had always boasted a strong record at home under Klopp, Slot was tasked with fixing the club’s wavering away form to make it a credible title challenger.

In the previous two seasons, the Reds claimed just 57 points on the road out of a possible 114. In 16 away matches this season, Liverpool have secured 38 points from 48 — the kind of form that delivered its last league title in 2019–20, with two games to spare.

The defence did its job, keeping eight clean sheets in 16 away fixtures, but it was Salah’s goalscoring form on the road that helped turn impending defeats into draws and draws into victories.

Liverpool’s transformation into an efficient counter-attacking side has enabled Salah (right) to enjoy his best season in terms of output in a Reds shirt. His 46 goal contributions (28 goals and 18 assists) leave him one shy of the all-time Premier League record.

Salah had 27 (16 goals and 11 assists) goal contributions away from home — the most by any player in a single Premier League season.
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GETTY IMAGES

Liverpool was the second-best counter-attacking side in the league last season, averaging a fast break per game with the fourth-best conversion rate. This year, it has been more clinical on turnovers, ranking first for most counter-attacks (1.8 per game) with the best conversion rate in the division.

Of the 41 goals Liverpool scored away from home, Salah was involved in 27 (16 goals and 11 assists) — the most by any player in a single Premier League season. More than half of his goals and assists came away from Anfield. Winners at Wolves and Southampton, and the equaliser away to Arsenal, helped set the tone for Liverpool early in the title race. Liverpool moved to the top of the table after matchweek five and, apart from a single matchday in week nine, it didn’t wobble.

Beyond his coaching philosophy, another key factor that tipped the job in Slot’s favour was Feyenoord’s impressive injury record under him. During his three years in Rotterdam, player availability stayed above 90%. This season, Liverpool’s key players remained fit for most of the campaign.

Last season, 20 injured players combined for 218 games missed, while this season, that figure has dropped to just 96 matches with 15 different injured players.

A key factor which played into Liverpool Sporting Director Richard Hughes (L) preferring Slot as the prime candidate as Klopp’s successor was his favourable injury record at his previous club Feyenoord.
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REUTERS

His attention to detail also extends off the pitch, with initiatives including yoga, hydrotherapy sessions, and allowing players to sleep at home before home games instead of in hotels. “People who have more knowledge about this than me tell me that you always sleep better in your own bed than a hotel bed,” he explained.

Among the players to have started the most games for the Reds in each position, only five missed a combined 24 games, with Van Dijk, Salah, Mac Allister, Andrew Robertson, Gravenberch and Díaz available for 34 gameweeks.

It has been a near-perfect first season for Slot. However, the disappointment of failing to translate Liverpool’s early European dominance into knockout success may still sting — but that would have been sweetened by the news that both skipper Van Dijk and Salah have extended their stays at the club.

Having come in with little expectations, Slot, in his unassuming manner, has now raised the bar by making Liverpool the best team in England. But it’s impossible to talk about Slot’s success without acknowledging Klopp’s legacy at the club. Slot himself was the first to pay tribute, serenading the German during the title-winning celebrations in front of the Kop.

Just as Klopp (below) was credited for making the club’s fans believe once again, they now know it is in safe hands with Slot.

All stats updated till Matchweek 34.