Diogo Jota scored the only goal of the game as Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 1-0 in a match that had plenty of talking points.
Nine wins from your first 10 games in all competitions is no easy feat at any point for a coach in the Premier League.
Arne Slot, though, has made the achievement seem relatively routine as he continues to imprint his style of play on the team.
Here, Sam Millne (@sam_millne) and Liv Heslington (@livfhes) discuss the good, the bad and the context of Liverpool 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.
The good…
LIV: I don’t think anyone can argue that if we were all told in June or July that we’d be top of the table and have only lost one game, everyone would be overjoyed.
Our forwards are connecting well and they’re showcasing great teamwork going forward, and Jota is once again proving his worth to the side.
I’m also enjoying the bluntness of Slot; I think it’ll keep the side grounded in terms of knowing he expects the best and the best is what he will be getting.
He goes into the game, gets the win, goes home and there’s always something we can do better – I like it a lot.
Vitezslav Jaros also had a great debut and there were no complaints at full time after he came on for Alisson. He made a save and we finished with a clean sheet, what more could you want?
SAM: For once in a 12.30pm kick-off, Liverpool actually started the match quickly and played arguably their best football of the season in the first half.
While Jota’s goal looked simple, Kostas Tsimikas‘ pass and Cody Gakpo‘s cross were the product of work on the training ground – you could see Slot’s pleasure written across his face when the ball went in.
Liverpool should have been more clinical but the way the midfield played, at a difficult venue, was very encouraging.
Time has to be taken to mention Virgil van Dijk‘s performance, too. We are so used to seeing him put in world-class showings that we don’t acknowledge his brilliance enough any more.
The captain’s use of the ball was particularly good on Saturday, playing 10 passes into the final third and making nine accurate long passes of 13 attempted.
His ability to switch the play quickly is so important to Liverpool’s build-up play. He has also taken on board Slot’s style of wanting to play swiftly and vertically into the midfielders.
The bad…
LIV: Alisson’s hamstring injury isn’t what we need or want.
This might be speculation but it seems like he hadn’t fully healed from the first problem he had and I’m expecting him to be out longer.
We have a few big games coming up now – Chelsea, Arsenal and the Champions League against RB Leipzig – we’d prefer to have him for, but I don’t doubt Caoimhin Kelleher will do a good job.
It’s just not an ideal situation given Ali also tore his hamstring a few seasons ago now, so it’s always been a tricky one to heal and is one to watch out for.
SAM: Like Liv says, Alisson‘s injury is a blow and all I can say is, I’m thankful Kelleher stayed in the summer.
While the Irishman is still on the books, Liverpool would be wise not to rush back our Brazilian No. 1.
It is testament to Kelleher that we are so confident in his ability, but Alisson‘s absence will still be felt.
If you want to win the league, you often need the best goalkeeper in the league. To have him missing for such a difficult run of fixtures is frustrating as he could have been pivotal to winning points in this period.
Are we right to play down being top given the teams we have played?
LIV: I don’t think we can downplay it at all.
We’ve started the season with a new manager, he’s come in, changed the style of play and the players need to get used to that – and they still are.
So, to win as many games as we have and to be where we are is a great achievement.
Obviously, we haven’t played the ‘bigger’ name clubs yet and it’ll be interesting to see what happens, but Slot’s mentality going into games doesn’t make us anxious.
He’s cool, calm and collected, and that mentally will still be there whether it’s bottom-of-the-table Wolves or a team in the top four.
SAM: It seems Slot has been doing the downplaying for us!
The head coach has gone out of his way on several occasions to mention the level of opposition faced, but in the Premier League every game is difficult.
It will be really interesting to see how Liverpool play when facing the highest level of technical ability.
Under Jurgen Klopp, we often sought to disrupt the opposition’s game, whereas Slot’s end goal will be to beat them at their own game.
For now, though, we could see Liverpool play on the break more against Man City, for example, rather than try to dominate the match.
