Graham Ruthven: Arne Slot is making replacing Jurgen Klopp look easy as Liverpool grow into title contenders

REPLACING Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager was meant to be hard. The legendary German had built such a legacy during his time at Anfield that whoever succeeded him was supposed to struggle to live up to his billing. Clearly nobody told Arne Slot about this. He’s making replacing Klopp look easy.

Eight games into the season, Liverpool are sitting top of the Premier League. Their 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Sunday highlighted the quality of Slot’s team against a high-level opponent with Nottingham Forest the only side to have taken points off the Reds so far this term. Liverpool are growing into genuine title contenders.

All areas of Slot’s team are functioning well. Defensively, Liverpool have been extremely stingy, conceding just three goals in eight league games – no Premier League side has conceded fewer goals this season. This record has been achieved even as Alisson Becker has been in and out of the lineup through injury. In an attacking sense, Liverpool are putting up similarly impressive numbers, averaging close to two goals a game in the Premier League. This ranks them behind only Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea with only Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Bryan Mbeumo ahead of Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah for goals as individual players.

 It is in midfield, however, where Slot has done the most impressive work. Lacking a natural number six after the failure to land Martin Zubimendi in the summer, the new Liverpool manager has had to compromise in the centre of the pitch with Ryan Gravenberch his best individual success story.

Under Klopp, Gravenberch was something of a peripheral figure, but Slot has deployed the Dutchman alongside Alexis Mac Allister in a deep-lying pairing to great effect. Indeed, Gravenberch has helped give Liverpool control in matches with his ability to beat the press and move into attacking transition with the ball another quality the Reds have made good use of.

Against Chelsea on Sunday, it was Curtis Jones who partnered Gravenberch and he proved to be the match winner, scoring Liverpool’s second goal and generally shining for the hosts.

🚨📊 Ryan Gravenberch is the highest performing midfielder in the Premier League this season.📸 – @DataMB_🇳🇱🦁💪 pic.twitter.com/nikJ9qXYzL

— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) October 21, 2024

His energy and instinct for picking up second balls was key to Liverpool ultimately overwhelming the Chelsea defence in the second half.

 

“I have a lot of confidence in this team” said Slot after the win over Chelsea. “I said don’t judge us on this week, you have to judge us after six, seven or eight [more] games. That’s also what I say now after this win because Wednesday is Leipzig, Sunday it’s Arsenal, then it’s Brighton, Brighton [and] then it’s Leverkusen and Aston Villa.”

Slot is right to point out the run of difficult fixtures Liverpool have ahead of them. Having beaten Chelsea on Sunday, the Merseyside outfit now have RB Leipzig, Arsenal, Brighton (twice), Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Manchester City all before 1st December. Runs don’t come more challenging than that. If, however, Liverpool come through that period still within touching distance of the top of the Premier League table, it will be fair to label them title challengers.

With Arsenal and City both showing their vulnerabilities in recent matches – see the former’s defeat to Bournemouth and the latter’s stoppage time win over Wolves – the opportunity is clearly there. Tasked with replacing the most legendary manager in Liverpool’s recent history, Slot has been wise not to reinvent the wheel. Liverpool, for the most part, are still playing Klopp-ball. Slot has made some adjustments, but the Anfield crowd are watching something they’re used to by now. They’re also used to watching a winning team, which is what Slot’s side are proving themselves to be.

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