Contenders or Contenders: Do Liverpool and Slot have what it takes? | Liverpool

IIt can’t be media hype to herald Chelsea’s visit to Anfield on Sunday as the start of a crucial phase for Arne Slot’s Liverpool when Slot himself has been saying pretty much the same thing for more than a month. Are the Premier League’s early leaders the real deal? Their head coach isn’t sure yet, although he’s sure he’ll find out soon.

The international break gave Slot, as he put it, an opportunity for a mental break, taking several days off to reflect on a near-perfect start to life at Liverpool and recover ahead of a schedule that will be both demanding and revealing. Seven games in 21 days – Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton and Aston Villa in the Premier League, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League and a trip to the Amex Stadium in the Carabao Cup – promise to give a team that certain something that has made its transition accepted so far.

During the best start to a Liverpool manager’s tenure in terms of results – nine wins from ten games in all competitions – Slot has diluted the praise with perspective. It was the 46-year-old who first broached the subject of Liverpool having a relatively good fixture list compared to their Premier League rivals. The message was repeated. It could be a psychological tactic used by an obsessive tactician to drive his new charges toward constant improvement and away from complacency, but it is undoubtedly true.

Liverpool have had an easier start to Slot’s debut season than Manchester City, Arsenal or any other rival in terms of average opponent rating. Their six league wins came against teams currently in 20th, 18th, 17th, 14th, 13th and 11th place. Only once have Liverpool faced a team currently in the top half, 10th-placed Nottingham Forest, and that was the only defeat of Slot’s tenure.

But the game plan – if not the game plan alone – has allowed Liverpool to build momentum and foundations as the team continues to develop under a new head coach, allaying fears of a post-Jurgen Klopp stumble along the way. Control was the hallmark of the performances.

It’s a slot mantra and an aspect of the game where the Dutch coach departs from his predecessor. Liverpool are staying in better shape and giving their opponents less space to damage them on the counter-attack, despite Callum Hudson-Odoi’s winner for Forest.

The style of play may be less exciting than under Klopp, but greater control has helped Liverpool boast the Premier League’s best defensive record, with just two goals conceded and a drop in expected goals conceded to 0.74 per game, down from 1.22 in the last season. Liverpool are also acting more purposefully this season; both their shooting and chance chances have increased.

Slot believes the sample size is currently too small to make an assessment of his impact or the team’s potential. The Liverpool manager also faces the first serious disruption to his defense on Sunday with Alisson ruled out through injury. The Brazil international will miss all of the next seven games and possibly more as he recovers from a serious hamstring injury. Caoimhín Kelleher will feature in his 50th game for the club against Chelsea.

Slot was asked on Friday if he already knows what this team is capable of or if he wouldn’t have the answer until the next seven games? “The final point of the question,” Slot replied. “It’s not so much about the fixture list because I think Wolves could be as difficult away as Chelsea at home. But what will tell me the most and what will be more interesting for me is to see what will happen with this schedule.

“Two seasons ago this club played in the Champions League and you know what the final result looked like in the Premier League table [fifth and 22 points off the top]. I say that because back then the Virgils and the Trents played on Champions League nights [Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold] and everyone played.

“Last season it was better in the Premier League table [third and nine points off the top] But in the Europa League, Trent and Virgil didn’t play, so it was one game a week for them, and playing one game a week is a big advantage compared to two games a week.

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“That’s why I’m more excited to see how we cope with the difficult Champions League games and then be prepared for the weekend. I’m so excited to see how we play against the better teams in the Premier League, but I think the main difference between Holland and England is that when PSV play against the 18th team, there is a big gap, but in England there is a big gap “The gap between the No. 1 team and the 18th is smaller.”

They are the fourth-placed team that Liverpool face at Anfield this weekend. perhaps a young and inconsistent Chelsea team, but one with a 100% away record and the second-highest goal tally in the Premier League this season. Only Liverpool can match the away form of Enzo Maresca’s team.

According to Slot, Chelsea pose “a big threat for the top three or four places this season.” Slot then Liverpool?

“It’s an interesting thing,” he said. “This club has always played for the top spots in the league and here we are now. The margins are so small, especially between one, two and three.

“Last season there was quite a big gap at four, five and six, but I expect them to be closer together now, including Chelsea. Maybe Chelsea will be number 1, I don’t know, but this season there is more competition for the top four places. I assume that the teams that take places one to four will need more points than last season.”