Liverpool’s clashes with Chelsea have long had a habit of proving landmark moments of their respective eras. From the cup final wins under Jurgen Klopp, the Champions League tussles between Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho, all the way back to the Double-delivering victories in 1986 and the FA Cup wins and shock losses of earlier vintages, the fixture has regularly been pivotal in signposting the direction of travel for the Reds.
And Sunday’s most recent Premier League outing maintained the theme.
If there was debate over whether the visit of the Londoners represented the first real test of the Arne Slot regime – a 3-0 Liverpool victory at Manchester United should never be devalued no matter how dreadful the opposition – there was one aspect of the weekend beyond dispute.
This was a clear debut sighting of what should be expected of a Slot team challenging for honours against one of their similarly aspirant rivals.
The thrilling manner in which Liverpool swept to victory at Old Trafford – pressing high up the field and looking to counter at every opportunity – was perhaps still laced with Jurgen Klopp’s DNA, hardly surprising given it was only Slot’s third competitive game in charge.
Two months, eight games and many training sessions later, Slot has had time and opportunity to impose his methods and ideology on the team. Yes, the high pressing is still there, but it is more selective, more considered. Energy is being conserved.
And while Liverpool successfully sought at Old Trafford to close the game down during the final half-hour, it wasn’t quite the battening down of hatches they achieved against a dangerous Chelsea attack on Sunday. That requires tactical discipline as well as concentrated minds.
Making comparisons with the glory days of the 1980s is always dangerous, particularly given this Reds vintage have won nothing yet and remain a long, long way from doing so. But the manner in which Liverpool managed the game was reminiscent of a team that knows how to win – and, just as pertinently, believes it can.
While there wasn’t much difference between the teams in terms of quality – given the vast sums that have been lavished on Chelsea’s squad in the last few years, that’s the very least the Londoners should expect – Slot’s side had greater nous and, perhaps, more confidence in their approach. They can see it is working.
There were echoes of the win at Wolves last month when, having taken a first-half lead, Liverpool were pegged back early in the second half only to regain the lead shortly afterwards and, in truth, rarely look like surrendering their advantage for a second time.
Chelsea huffed and puffed around the Liverpool box for concerted periods in the final quarter but it says much that Caoimhin Kelleher didn’t really have a save of note to make. Renato Veiga headed a set-piece over and Cole Palmer had a shot blocked by Dominik Szoboszlai, but that was about it. At the other end, substitute Luis Diaz arguably went closer after a solo run.
That it isn’t quite as exciting as under Klopp is also obvious. The high-octane way in which Liverpool both triumphed and failed with the German in charge made the Reds box office for television viewers and meant many neutrals had a soft spot for them, particularly up against the Manchester City machine. Those impartial observers might find this new, more methodical Liverpool a bit, well, boring.
That, though, won’t bother the Anfield outfit. They aren’t here to be the great entertainers. Silverware is the concern although, given the talent at their disposal, there will remain sufficient memorable moments of magic, such as the Mohamed Salah pass and Curtis Jones finish for the second goal against Chelsea.
Of course, as Slot remains keen to impress, the campaign is still in its formative stages. The current raft of games – Sunday was the first of seven in 20 days – will paint a more accurate picture of exactly where Liverpool stand and what should be considered possible this season.
If the game at RB Leipzig on Wednesday evening is, while important, still something of a free hit – the new-look Champions League opening stage means a defeat or two can be easily absorbed – a positive result at the Emirates four days later would deliver a statement this Liverpool side believe they are ready for another Premier League title challenge.
But the manner in which Chelsea were beaten could ultimately become Slot’s calling card. This is his team now.
