Has Slot Put Poor Performances in the Past with Impressive Real Victory?

Photo by Nathan Wong on Unsplash

Following a run of poor form that saw Slot’s Liverpool side drop out of the Carabao Cup and lose ground in the race for the Premier League title, back-to-back victories against Aston Villa and Real Madrid appear to have the team back on track.

Two clean sheets and solid performances will give the players confidence moving on, and the club is by no means out of the title race.

After 10 games, Arsenal’s impressive start to the season sees them sit at the top of the table, while a resurgent Manchester City has battled into second place on 19 points. Liverpool are just 1 point behind Manchester City and 7 behind Arsenal, with a lot of the season left to play. Sunderland and Bournemouth join Liverpool on 18 points, but can be expected to drop down the table as we get closer to the business end of things.

The top UK betting operators and sportsbooks not on Gamstop are in agreement that Arsenal are the most likely team to lift the title this year, priced at around 1/2, with Manchester City the second favourite at 9/2. However, Liverpool’s odds of 15/2 represent great value for money when you consider how erratic Manchester City have been and Arsenal’s propensity to choke when under pressure in recent years.

We are yet to see the best from Isak and Wirtz, and if this pair can hit form, Liverpool could become an unstoppable force.

The win at home in the Champions League against Real Madrid was a massive step for a team that has struggled over the last few months.

A solid performance at the back limited Real to 1 clear-cut chance despite having 61% of possession. But it was former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois who was the busiest man on the park, keeping out multiple efforts from Dominik Szoboszlai, who put in an inspired performance.

Liverpool had 17 shots to Real’s 8, 9 of which were on target compared to 2 from the Spanish giants. It was not until the 61st minute that Mac Allister was finally able to break the deadlock, flashing a bullet header past Courtois from a dangerous Szoboszlai delivery.

To top things off for Liverpool, former fan favourite and local boy Trent Alexander-Arnold came on to the field of play in the 81st minute, giving the home support the opportunity to boo his every touch after an acrimonious departure.

A tough visit to Manchester City follows on Sunday, November 9th, but after that, Slot has a decent run of fixtures that he would be expected to guide the team through, including Nottingham Forest and PSV at home before a trip to West Ham, Sunderland at home, and then Leeds away.

Wirtz showed some of the promise that encouraged his boss to spend over £100 million on him, and record signing Isak is still recovering from a groin injury picked up against Eintracht Frankfurt. Ekitike has proved that he is more than capable of leading the line in his absence, and with Szoboszlai in scintillating form and Salah always capable of magic, Liverpool appears to be in a good place.