“Remarkable” Arne Slot making “impossible task” look simple at Liverpool

Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen felt like a statement night in Arne Slot‘s reign as head coach, with the media lauding the Dutchman.

The Reds blew Xabi Alonso’s side away in a scintillating second half on Tuesday evening, as Anfield inspired their heroes to victory once again.

Here’s how the media assessed a stunning win for Liverpool, with Slot the main point of focus.

Andy Hunter of the Guardian witnessed Alonso get blown away by his former club, describing Slot as “remarkable”:

“The finest compliment to Xabi Alonso, Arne Slot wrote in his programme notes, ‘is to be the best Liverpool that we can possibly be with no quarter asked and no quarter given.’

“Liverpool obliged to perfection to give their former favourite a harrowing return to Anfield.

“The champions of Germany were dissected in a dominant second-half performance by Liverpool who maintained their 100% record in this season’s Champions League courtesy of a Luis Diaz hat-trick and a Cody Gakpo header.

“Leverkusen were unbeaten themselves before arriving at Anfield. They left chastened, Liverpool soaring to the top of the table with the confidence of a team that has won a remarkable 14 of the first 16 games under Slot.”

Similarly, the Telegraph‘s Chris Bascombe focused on the two managers and their differing fortunes:

“By the end of the evening his name was ringing around the Kop and Arne Slot could enjoy the final moments of the 14th victory of what had been a remarkable start to his time as manager of one of the most demanding clubs in the world.

“Indeed, it was easy to forget that the man across the divide from Liverpool’s manager was once the only candidate many in the stands at Anfield wanted for this job.

“Xabi Alonso’s side had been well beaten and the man who had accepted the Jürgen Klopp inheritance has started at a ferocious pace.

“Liverpool now stand top of the 36 teams thrown together in the new Champions League mega-table, as well as top in the Premier League.”

On Twitter, David Lynch hailed a stunning Liverpool display and said they should be among the Champions League favourites under Alot:

“Something of a low-key first half at Anfield, but Liverpool just took it to another level in the second to demolish an excellent Bayer Leverkusen side.

“New manager or not, they surely deserve to be considered a major Champions League contender this season.”

Phil McNulty of BBC Sport is so impressed with the manner in which Slot has seamlessly replaced Jurgen Klopp:

“Liverpool turned on another second-half show of power as Alonso’s hopes of producing a Champions League shock were blown away against his former club.

[..]

“Slot took the acclaim of Liverpool’s fans at the end, his quiet, understated celebrations a sharp contrast to the fist-pumping antics of predecessor Klopp, after another demonstration of how he is making what many believed was an impossible task look eminently possible.”

Miguel Delaney of the Independent feels Liverpool definitely have the right man in charge:

“One obvious narrative that will come out of this is that it shows Liverpool were right to go for Slot, rather than the Basque.

[…]

“Such a narrative about the right decision would be more unfair than inevitable. Alonso should not be castigated for choosing to stay in a lesser-resourced job, where he already worked a miracle. That was going to be impossible to sustain.

“Slot, by contrast, is starting to look like he really can sustain this run. The football occasionally looks effortless, which in turn allows periods when Liverpool do look devastating.

“It has put them top of Europe again, at least in terms of this expanded Champions League group stage table.”