Liverpool supporters were understandably sceptical ahead of Arne Slot’s arrival.
The Reds were surrendering the comfort of Jurgen Klopp and stepping into the unknown. But the Premier League has chewed up and spat out Dutch coaches in the past, with Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag misery serving as a warning sign to the Reds.
However, doubters have been turned into believers during the first few months of Slot’s impressive reign. The former Feyenoord boss has swiftly impressed the Anfield faithful, not only with his calm and confident persona, but with a flurry of measured and, most crucially, winning displays.
Liverpool find themselves firmly in the Premier League title race heading into the hectic winter period and the 46-year-old has supporters dreaming of a second triumph in the competition.
But how does Slot’s Liverpool compare to Klopp’s title-winning Reds in 2019/20?
11 matches into the 2024/25 Premier League season and things couldn’t be much better for Slot. The Reds sit top of the table with 28 points, only failing to win two of their games – a 2-2 draw with Arsenal and a surprise 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest. Saturday’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa pushed Liverpool five points clear at the summit.
However, the Reds were marginally better off after 11 matches during Klopp’s 2019/20 title-winning campaign. Liverpool had won ten and drawn one of their outings – only failing to beat Man Utd at Old Trafford – claiming 31 points in the process.
Coincidentally, Liverpool’s 11th match of the season during the 2019/20 campaign also came against Villa. It was a result that proved pivotal in the Reds’ surge to the top, coming from behind in the Midlands to win 2-1 after 87th and 94th minute strikes from Andy Robertson and Sadio Mane respectively.
The victory at Villa Park made Liverpool supporters believe that it was a special year and the Anfield crowd likely felt similar after victory over Unai Emery’s side on Saturday evening.
Slot has been hailed for bringing an increased measure of control to a Liverpool side that prioritised chaos and intensity under Klopp. Their defensive record under the Dutchman reflects that fact, with just six goals conceded in 11 matches in the Premier League. Six clean sheets is unsurprisingly the highest in the division.
Liverpool have been eye-catching in the final third, too. While seldom blowing teams away by three or four goals, they have been steady and prolific scorers, producing 21 goals in 11 matches. That’s an average of just under two per match.
The belief that Liverpool were more energetic risk-takers under Klopp is supported by the statistics. The 2019/20 Reds produced an impressive 26 goals in the opening 11 gameweeks but their defensive record of nine conceded – with just two clean sheets – highlights the more care-free approach taken under the German.
While a tad less exciting, Liverpool’s more controlled style under Slot will be hugely beneficial to a sustained title bid.
If it were not for a swashbuckling Manchester City side, Klopp’s Reds would have won more than a single Premier League title. During the 2019/20 campaign, Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Cityzens produced a rare off-season.
Man City ended the campaign 18 points behind Liverpool and were already six off the pace by Gameweek 11. While they and Leicester City boasted a superior goal difference to the Reds, the Cityzens only had 25 points to show for it at that moment in time.
It’s much the same in 2024/25. Man City have made a woeful start to the season by their lofty standards and will be without linchpin Rodri for the remainder of the campaign. They still find themselves second in the Premier League table with 23 points but are five off Liverpool heading into the international period.
Unlike in 2019/20, however, Liverpool also have to concern themselves with Arsenal. The Gunners have been runners-up in the last two seasons and will likely find themselves in the title fight come the end of the campaign, even if they have endured a difficult start to the season.
During the Reds’ Premier League title win, they overcame almost every obstacle – including the coronavirus pandemic halting the season – and they won a remarkable 26 of their first 27 matches in the league. Slot’s side will face their fair share of challenges but the early signs suggest they have the ability and resilience to hurdle them.
The pessimistic Liverpool supporter would have argued that Slot hadn’t faced many elite sides during the start of his reign. But recent victories over Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa – and a respectable 2-2 draw with Arsenal in north London – have shown their credentials.
Of course, bigger challenges are to come. Liverpool will likely have to juggle the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Champions League as they enter 2025 and also face gargantuan clashes with Man City in the Premier League that could prove decisive.
Liverpool’s early exits in said competitions during 2019/20 proved beneficial to their title charge and a crucial 3-1 victory over Man City on home soil – a fixture that came in Gameweek 12 – helped cement them as Premier League favourites.
If Slot can best Man City and Arsenal in this season’s Premier League duels, then he has an amazing opportunity to secure a sensational title in his debut season. However, fighting on four fronts is a completely different proposition. Caution is advised this early in the season.
