Liverpool are 10 games into the Arne Slot era and he could hardly have made a better start.
Nine wins, and just one defeat, have left the Dutchman’s team top of the Premier League and with a perfect record in the league phase of the Champions League, albeit sterner examinations await after the international break.
Our experts assess Liverpool’s season so far and could lie in store.
Is Liverpool’s start to the season a surprise?
James Pearce: Yes, I didn’t expect the transition from one era to another to be so smooth. The fixture list has been kind so far but this is a team who lost against Crystal Palace and Everton in the closing stages of last season. It wasn’t an easy first summer in charge for Slot to navigate with the late return of so many key players due to international tournaments, but he quickly put his stamp on the talented squad he inherited. It’s a great platform to build on.
Simon Hughes: Not really. Given how poorly Liverpool finished last season, it is easy to forget the same group of players produced good results for much of the campaign. Meanwhile, too much has been made of the transition from the supposed style of football Jurgen Klopp was delivering to the one Arne Slot wants. Since 2020, Liverpool have become more of a possession-based team and, to some degree, this went against Klopp’s best instincts. It means the players were readier for the Slot era than many assumed.
Gregg Evans: No, because the fixture list was kind. There hasn’t really been a surprise result other than the ease with which they breezed past Manchester United. Slot deserves a lot of credit for navigating through each fixture and winning nine out of the first 10 games, but it’s the schedule ahead that will really show us how good Liverpool are.
What has most impressed you about Slot?
Pearce: His authenticity. He hasn’t tried to be someone he’s not. I think he’s struck a really good balance between being respectful to Klopp and his achievements, but backing himself to succeed. The step up from Feyenoord is huge with the pressure and scrutiny that come with managing Liverpool but he looks like he belongs at Anfield. He has showcased his coaching acumen with the changes he’s made to how the team sets up and the in-game tweaks he has made. He’s a good communicator and his attention to detail has really stood out.
Hughes: He reminds me a lot of Rafael Benitez when he was at his best. Not in terms of the style of football he promises but his preparedness, calmness, as well as his decisiveness. From what I hear, the difference with Benitez (and this is a good thing, I think) is the players feel as though they know exactly where they stand with him.
Evans: His calm and measured approach. Rarely has he flinched in these opening months despite taking on one of the highest-profile jobs in football. He has taken everything in his stride.
Who’s been the standout player so far?
Pearce: Ryan Gravenberch. He’s been sensational. The Dutch midfielder only made 12 league starts during his first season at Liverpool and completed the full 90 minutes just once in the top flight. Now he looks fitter, stronger and more tactically astute. Now, you wonder how Liverpool would cope without him pulling the strings in the No 6 role. His work off the ball has been as eye-catching as his quality in possession.
Hughes: Virgil van Dijk has been brilliant again but Gravenberch looks to be a different player altogether. Last season, he seemed to be everywhere without the ball but did very little with it. This season, every time he receives possession, I’m expecting something to happen.
Evans: It would be easy to say Gravenberch, who is certainly the most improved, but without Van Dijk in such great form Liverpool would not be at the top of the league. The captain is in the form of his life. There’s nobody in the world who reads the game like he does. He’s a major reason why Liverpool have conceded the fewest goals this season (two) and even at 33 he is showing no signs of slowing down.
Who needs to step up?
Pearce: Darwin Nunez. Slot has managed to reinvigorate a number of players who lost their way towards the end of the Klopp era, but the Uruguayan striker is clearly still a work in progress. Picking Diogo Jota to lead the line ahead of Nunez is a no-brainer currently. The former Benfica man is capable of moments of awe-inspiring brilliance — like his stunning strike against Bournemouth — but too often the basics let him down. He’s caught offside too often and, against Bologna in the Champions League last week, he completed just four of his 12 passes.
Hughes: Dominik Szoboszlai. I get the feeling he is largely doing what Slot wants in terms of his running but he’s increasingly reminding me of Emre Can, spending too much time on the ball without going for the throat when the opportunity is there.
Evans: Perhaps it’s unfair to single out Nunez when he’s only started three games in all competitions, but still, his goal return is not enough for a Liverpool forward. The forwards in general are not quite as free-flowing and easy on the eye as in previous seasons but, between them, Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Nunez have a combined number of 30 goals and assists.
What’s been the biggest difference in the team between last season and this term?
Pearce: Control. Liverpool are leaving themselves less exposed with greater protection when they lose possession. The balance of the midfield looks so much better with Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister working in tandem with Szoboszlai or Curtis Jones operating ahead of them. They are able to protect leads in a way they were unable to do when the wheels came off last season.
Hughes: A lot has been made about Liverpool in possession but they seem harder to play through as well. Part of this, I suspect, is because the full-backs seem to have a better understanding of where they need to be on the pitch. Perhaps the instruction is clearer. Last season, Ibrahima Konate seemed to be playing as a right-back and a centre-back at times and this left him with too much to do.
Evans: The level of control and the tightening up of the defence. After seven games last season Liverpool had conceded seven goals and fallen behind in games on four occasions. This season there’s an enhanced willingness to keep the ball out of the net and the way they have managed games when under pressure is impressive.
Where do Liverpool look vulnerable?
Pearce: If Gravenberch was to get injured, I’d be worried because Liverpool don’t have anyone else who could carry out that No 6 role in similar fashion. Wataru Endo’s skillset is very different and his game time has been limited. Losing Alisson to another hamstring injury is a blow but they are fortunate to have such an able deputy in Caoimhin Kelleher.
Hughes: Depth in midfield. Yes, Gravenberch has done brilliantly but if he or someone else gets injured, Slot doesn’t have many options. Hopefully, something will be done about this in January.
Evans: Nowhere yet, although the injury to Alisson is a concern because he offers a calming and soothing presence in the last line of defence. Caoimhin Kelleher is a solid, reliable backup but as good as he is, he’s still not Alisson. If Liverpool are able to protect their lead at the top of the table until the next international period — and without Alisson — then we can start talking about a team ready to go the distance.
Which fixture are you most looking forward to in this run of trickier games?
Pearce: Real Madrid in the Champions League at Anfield on November 27. Liverpool haven’t beaten them in eight attempts since Benitez’s side thrashed them 4-0 on Merseyside in March 2009. That miserable run includes losing Champions League finals in Kyiv and Paris. Anfield will be absolutely bouncing when Carlo Ancelotti’s men come to town next month.
Hughes: Arsenal away. Performances and results at the Emirates over the last two seasons have not been good. A victory there would be the hardest evidence of progress under Slot.
Evans: The next one against Chelsea, largely because it’s a test against a team who are unpredictable. Van Dijk said recently that Chelsea cannot be ruled out of the title race because of the young talent they have available so it will be interesting to see Slot’s game plan.
What should Liverpool now be aiming for this season?
Pearce: A top-four finish in the Premier League and winning a trophy. That would represent a brilliant first season for Slot. Of course, their flying start has sparked talk of a title challenge, but we will learn over the next two months whether that’s realistic.
Hughes: As a minimum, top three and progression in the Champions League, making it through a round or two in the knockouts. This would indicate to me that Slot is capable of managing domestic and European expectations. Klopp was able to deliver that.
Evans: To win every competition they enter. There’s no reason why they can’t compete for the Premier League title and the Champions League, and with clever rotation they should be strong in both domestic cup competitions, too.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
