At the same time as he closed in on the title that rendered, realised it was getting more durable for him. His facet have been discovering it more durable to chop opponents open. It was a recognition that underpinned Liverpool’s summer time spending. If a few of their £450m outlay was spent on a quest for one more dimension, Liverpool have as an alternative in his reign.
Slot however sees the beginning of the brand new marketing campaign as a continuation of the second half of final. He noticed Galatasaray’s celebrations once they beat Liverpool on Tuesday, as if it have been their last. He inferred that a part of his stellar begin at Anfield got here from opponents underestimating him, figuring that Liverpool have been extra beatable with out the charismatic presence of Jurgen Klopp.
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“Jurgen was so well-known {that a} new supervisor got here in and everybody thought ‘Oh, let’s begin to play towards Liverpool,’” stated Slot. “Groups performed in a very completely different manner within the first half of the season towards us than they did once we have been high of the league after half of the season and high of the Champions League after the primary a part of the season.”
Arne Slot and Liverpool head to Chelsea on Saturday seeking to keep away from three defeats in a row (Liverpool FC by way of Getty Photos)
Liverpool have discovered it harder to attain from open-play. They’ve spent a lot of 2025 encountering packed defences. “It has been primarily the taking part in type of the opposite group and if you happen to have a look at [Crystal] Palace, you have a look at Galatasaray: how a lot they throw themselves in entrance of a ball, what all of them attempt to do, all these items collectively make it more durable for us now to attain from open play than it was within the first a part of final season,” he stated. “That is one thing I already noticed final season. That is why we additionally had the window that we had; generally to switch, generally so as to add a sure high quality.”
It explains the signing of , a No 10 designed to carry excessive creativity and designed to displace the runner Dominik Szoboszlai. It has : the German is but to get an help in both the Premier League or the Champions League. Slot could have identified the issue, even when the answer is but to have the specified influence.
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“We have introduced in a really completely different midfielder then we had final season, which we expect we wanted as a result of the quantity of targets we discovered from open play within the first a part of final season and the second a part of final season, there is a massive, massive distinction,” he stated. “We did not shut our eyes for the second a part of the season, what number of occasions we wanted a set-piece [to score].”
Therefore the arrival of Wirtz for £100m; , the £125m document purchase, was additionally launched to assist add incision. Maybe Liverpool can have a higher menace when the Swede is totally match, when every has gelled together with his new team-mates.
“That is a part of it,” stated Slot. However even earlier than their arrival, at the same time as Mohamed Salah had record-breaking season final 12 months, a few of his targets turned scarcer within the last few months. Slot famous that 5 of Salah’s targets within the second half of final season have been penalties, a sixth additionally a set-piece.
Liverpool could must imitate Arsenal. “A set-piece is certainly one of many methods to unsettle or unlock a low block,” Slot famous. “The No 2 of the league has scored 60 per cent of their targets from set-pieces.” Virgil van Dijk’s injury-time winner towards Atletico Madrid was proof Liverpool can possess the same menace. “We have unlocked these groups within the second half of the season by scoring seven nook kicks,” Slot added.
Virgil van Dijk offered the winner from a nook in Liverpool’s Champions League opener (Getty Photos)
There have been fewer within the Premier League now, although Szoboszlai scored a match-winning free kick towards Arsenal.
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However Liverpool have been deadlier in open play once they ran riot in 2024, culminating within the 6-3 demolition of Tottenham and the 5-0 thrashing of West Ham. Liverpool scored 45 targets of their first 18 league video games final season, a median of two.5 per match.
It dropped to 2.05 thereafter; nonetheless respectable however fewer. It was accompanied by a defensive drop-off. They conceded 20 targets within the final 15 league matches, 1.33 per sport, after solely 21 of their first 23.
(Adam Davy/PA Wire)
To date within the present marketing campaign, they’re scoring 2.0 targets per league sport, conceding 1.16. Add within the Champions League and that turns into 1.25 conceded. As soon as once more, this season, even with very completely different personnel, bears distinct similarities to the tip of final.
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It leaves Slot looking for options: for his group to search out the wingers usually sufficient and early sufficient to isolate them one towards one, to transform extra corners, to discover a manner by a low block. He’s ready for Isak, ready for Wirtz. And he’s discovering it isn’t as straightforward because it appeared final autumn.