After the final whistle at Old Trafford, Arne Slot proudly raised his fist in celebration, an image that reminded Liverpool fans of their previous manager, Jurgen Klopp.
From the complete victories against Ipswich Town and Brentford, Liverpool easily defeated arch-rivals Man United 3-0 away. The game is still very long but that is enough for Arne Slot to affirm that he is not a lucky person when "without having to do anything" he still inherited a very good squad from Jurgen Klopp.
No Liverpool manager has won at Old Trafford in the first leg of a season since George Kay 88 years ago. The Dutchman is also the first manager in the club's history to win his opening three games without conceding a goal.
Last summer, when Klopp was preparing to leave Anfield, Xabi Alonso was the first name mentioned, not Arne Slot. When it was confirmed that he would take the hot seat, Slot was also met with much skepticism as he was considered not good enough to continue the great legacy of his predecessor.
Liverpool 's current stability is surprising. Not only that, the 45-year-old coach has also revived the form of some key players, typically Luis Diaz. Last season, it was not until November that the Colombian striker scored 3 goals in the Premier League. This season, he only needed the first 3 rounds to do that.
Watching his new team play from the stands of Old Trafford, new recruit Federico Chiesa often let out a surprised look. Perhaps Chiesa did not expect his new team to play so fast, strong and well.
Back to Slot, their approach to Liverpool is completely different from Klopp's. The Kop in Klopp's hands is like a ferocious beast, always rushing to attack regardless of time and score. Meanwhile, Slot is calmer. In the English Derby last weekend, Liverpool actually did not take the initiative to ambush their opponents, they waited for Man United to make mistakes before punishing them.
With the score at 3-0 and about 30 minutes left, Slot told his players to slow down and gradually withdraw key players to conserve energy. Liverpool could continue to score if they accelerated, but what Slot needed was long-distance personnel. A 3-0 away win was enough, there was no need for a 7-0.
Another admirable aspect of Slot is his ability to use his available personnel. During the summer transfer window, Slot only had Chiesa as a new signing. Not only that, he was only able to assemble a full squad just 2 weeks before the start of the Premier League this season. To shorten the preparation time, Slot held many tactical meetings with his players and luckily for him, everyone accepted and operated smoothly almost immediately.
Martin Zubimendi didn't come, no problem! Slot made good use of Ryan Gravenberch. Once considered an average player, the former Ajax star played well against Man United and became a real threat to The Kop's midfield. Gravenberch won 7/10 duels, made 2 successful tackles and made 4 perfect interceptions.
Things are going well for Liverpool at the moment, but the question is whether, when the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup return, this squad of The Kop can maintain stability and avoid injuries as much as possible? In recent seasons, Liverpool have had trouble with that every year. If they can overcome it successfully, Arne Slot deserves to be the perfect successor to Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
