Come Sunday night, some of the biggest warnings of the Premier League season may no longer exist. There could also be a lot to say about Liverpool, but none of that will include the retort “but they haven’t done it against a superior team” once the full whistle blows at Anfield, Chelsea’s next meeting.
It has been a curious aspect of the match record so far that Liverpool’s first seven matches have involved them against teams recently outside the control section of the Premier League. A total of 18 things from those games is enough for them to control the table, beating every opponent except Nottingham Jungle, suggesting that they meet a requirement of a potential identity challenger: almost never waste things on the opponent. to groups that will have to win.
Arne Slot also knows that all other aspects (performances against the best in the league) could be examined in the coming weeks. By December 5, they will have gone from going through the worst of last season (8) to all but one hour juggling their three toughest Champions League games. Slot has identified a preference for early-season game history almost as often as a rival fan might be expected to. The Dutchman himself insists that this is the period where he and his formative aspect should be judged.
“[The] calendar,” he mentioned on Friday, “we have to take into account [that] into account too. “Now we are facing even better players.”
If it is true to say that the next few weeks will focus on a greater study of Liverpool, but it is no less cheap to realize that they are approaching those games in as wonderful a situation as someone would have anticipated given the tactical and mental damage that the procedure of Jurgen Klopp intended to achieve. The Premier League’s most unusual top-flight film makers are coming to town. It is equally curious that Chelsea are going through England’s miserable maximum protection.
It’s not that Liverpool haven’t been an admirable defensive team of late. It just seemed like a byproduct of his dominance. When Klopp’s team pressed hard, it was more a matter of creating play, facilitating their own path to the goal, than competitive greed. As the intensity of the ball decreased, the numbers increased and the goals conceded increased, 47 against in 2022-23 and 41 in 2023-24. Still, Klopp could break through that because he had the two best defensive players in the game.
Helping Slot reject the result in his first months was the fact that he still had Virgil van Dijk and Alisson running at something approaching the height of their powers. The former once again won sparkling celebrations for his management qualities. As for the ending, his supervisor didn’t try to downplay Alisson’s absence for a moment.
“Alisson will surely not be with us in the coming weeks, that’s clear,” Slot said. “So it’s a big blow for him and for us because I think he did very well this season and he did very well at this club for so many years.”
Even against a stingy defense that gives up about nine shots per game, Alisson is finding moments to shine. Two goals conceded in the 17 right-direction shots he has faced gives Liverpool the best defensive record in the Premier League, and he has the most effective save rate of any goalkeeper in the tournament who has faced more than 10 shots. For the small selection of shots he’s actually faced, having avoided 2.77 targets is pretty funny. This is by far the most effective goalkeeper in the world.
Liverpool could compete and have the best extra goalkeeper in the Premier League, at least in the form of Caoimhin Kelleher, who was as impressive in the win over Bournemouth in September as he was on many a losing occasion (reject the surprise). Giorgi Mamardashvili heads to Anfield after the summer given how frequently Alisson suffers from injuries). As good as Kelleher is, he’s not the most efficient goalie in the world. Accelerate that skill level and any defense will suffer.
On the other hand, not so much that an avalanche of targets is inevitable. After all, Alisson hasn’t had much to try this season, nor have he, Kelleher and (for 11 minutes against Crystal Palace) Vitezslav Jaros scored their posts. Liverpool haven’t been given many chances at all, their 5.17 non-penalty early goals (npxG) allowing them to be the best in the league through almost complete xG.
There appears to be a negligible additional restriction on the way Liverpool go about things. According to Wyscout, they allow about 10 percent more passes consistent with defensive action than last season. Early indicators are that during ownership they are running a little deeper from front to back, limiting opportunities for quick transitions into areas their rearguard can abandon.
The move to a closer midfield, equivalent to a double pivot, has brought a more muscular guard to a backline that has been crying out for a destroyer in front of them ever since Fabinho’s legs abandoned him. You may not be a defensive power with one of Ryan Gravenberch or Alexis MacAllister on the floor, but the two build for a dynamic pairing, all sitting within the league’s 20 range for ball medicines.
Behind them, Ibrahima Konate looks more like the player he was becoming on his first spell in England. Andrew Robertson seems to play in a more reserved role. Trent Alexander-Arnold is also just a little more conservative in his midfield investment. All of this eases the burden on Liverpool’s centre-backs, who should not be as admirable as Van Dijk often is on the flanks. Just look at how fragile it is for fighters to get to the signature.
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All of this could smartly change in the coming weeks. Liverpool’s construction seems to be in their playground. The most productive attackers get rid of all that anyway. There’s nothing to say that Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke can’t simply isolate his full back on Sunday afternoon and play him, nor that Cole Palmer won’t be able to find length between the lines. This is without mentioning the wear and tear that Bukayo Saka, Florian Wirtz and Kylian Mbappé could cause in the coming weeks. At the moment it is not known if the Slot device will confront them. What we do know, however, is that the signs of an improved defense are there.
Scroll down for our predicted rankings on this and all other Premier League games these days:
Premier League predictions
Saturday October 19
Tottenham 2, West Ham 0
Fulham 1, Aston Villa 1
Ipswich 1, Everton 2
Manchester United 0, Brentford 0
Newcastle 1, Brighton 1
Southampton 0, Leicester 2
Bournemouth 1, Arsenal 2
Sunday October 20
Wolves 1, Manchester Town 3
Liverpool 2, Chelsea 1
Monday October 21
Nottingham Jungle 0, Crystal Palace 0
