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Top of the Champions League and now five points clear at the top of the Premier League, Arne Slot is a low-key appointment that makes Liverpool a high-flying player. A 15th win in 17 games capped a spectacular start for the Dutchman. Now Manchester City are in second place but as close to Aston Villa in eighth as Liverpool.
And Villa have picked the wrong time to emulate City. Usually, it’s a feat that can be achieved in the same form as Pep Guardiola’s team. Not now. Not when it means Villa, too, have suffered four successive defeats. Liverpool took one of the strengths of Unai Emery’s team, the set-piece, and turned it into their weakness.
For the second successful game, Slot chose a striker wisely. Luis Diaz played against Bayer Leverkusen, an unconventional choice that paid off as the Colombian scored the first hat-trick of his career. He returned to the left wing as Darwin Nunez returned to provide the opener against Villa, with Mohamed Salah doubling the lead. “He is on fire,” said Slot. That’s how he is. Now, the arrival of summer is in the managerial sweet spot where everything you try seems to work. Liverpool, with 12 wins in 13, can testify.
The only problem on the night was the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who limped off with a hamstring injury. “It’s always serious if a player goes out in the first half,” said Slot. “That’s not a good sign.” Not when Liverpool next month includes meetings with Real Madrid and City. But the last seven matches presented a check of his credentials. Only Arsenal caught him. RB Leipzig, Leverkusen, Chelsea and Villa were beaten, along with Brighton twice.
And Albion’s other results show that it will not be easy. Buoyed by City’s defeat at Brighton, Anfield was full of energy. It’s the kind of fast and frenzied game that can come when you’re under the lights. In short, the atmosphere suits Nunez.
Uruguayan players have the capacity to dictate the style of any match. Luwing likes Slot for the well-known control, but this is more reminiscent of Jurgen Klopp last year, in part due to Nunez, all-action adventurer. Liverpool scored two Klopp-style goals: viscerally exciting, breathtakingly fast. “It’s not the first time we’ve scored like that,” said Slot. “The players are very quick on the counter attack.”
Twice, they move from box to box at a blistering pace. Villa, under the influence of Austin McPhee, have become set-piece specialists but concede from their own corners. Liverpool attack, Virgil van Dijk sends Salah running. Leon Bailey dragged him down, referee David Coote continued to play – possibly sparing the Villa winger a red card, had VAR been called – and Nunez followed, rounding Emi Martinez to finish from an acute angle. The Uruguayan celebrated with a jumper. Given the new form of Curtis Jones’, fatherhood clearly agrees with Liverpool players.
Villa did not study. After another corner, Salah released Nunez behind the visitors’ defence. The second goal came from Villa’s throw in the final third. When Liverpool broke, Diego Carlos headed the ball to Salah, who returned through him, ran 50 yards and fired past Martinez. Credit deflected slot. “This counter break has nothing to do with what we do on the training pitch but pure quality,” he said.
And Liverpool have a lot. Andy Robertson looked to have come back to life with his midweek break, running up and down the left, crossing as Nunez advanced wastefully. Jones was also very good, in what should prove to be a late game as an uncapped player. Nunez was everywhere, finishing with five shots. Slot has done a lot more but making him clinical can prove the task even beyond the Dutchman.
But Liverpool still have the goalkeeper to thank. A pair of excellent Caoimhin Kelleher saves followed two Lucas Digne corners within seconds, first Amadou Onana and then Carlos saw headers denied by the Irishman.
Villa have a threat. Emery felt he had two kicks, when Ollie Watkins was tackled and Pau Torres was pulled down – “it was a clear penalty,” he said – while around 25 seconds into the second half, Morgan Rogers got away only to shoot for a corner. With Liverpool at times feeling vulnerable to a break, there were points when they needed an important intervention – one from Ryan Gravenberch, the other from Konate – to prevent half a chance from turning into something more substantial.
But there were times when Liverpool felt fresher. There’s definitely a ferocity to some of the running, and not just when Nunez is on the run. It was told when, on 78 minutes, Diaz returned to his own penalty area to eliminate a sleepy Jaden Philogene. “Let’s not forget to open the defense of Diaz,” said Slot.
He could judge the attackers by how quickly they retreated. But this is a fast-moving team. “Liverpool, top of the league,” rang out at Anfield in injury time. Now it’s a question of how long he can stay there and if he’s done there.
