Liverpool head coach Arne Slot celebrated a successful Anfield debut as his side emerged as 2-0 winners over Brentford this afternoon.
It came a week after the former Feyenoord boss made a perfect Premier League start with a 2-0 victory at Ipswich, reducing any concerns of teething problems in the early stages of the post-Klopp era.
Victory today also broke a recent trend that has seen each of Liverpool’s last four managers — including Kenny Dalglish’s second spell in charge — draw their first home league game in charge of the club.
Given their status as the sole English top-flight side not to make any signings in the summer transfer window, it felt like an extension of last season’s team, with Slot adding his own twist. A lack of activity though hasn’t bothered Slot, who complimented Klopp for leaving him a battle-hardened squad laced with experience and exuberance.
No one symbolises both facets as 27-year-old Colombian forward Luis Díaz breaks the deadlock. In doing so, he’s now registered Liverpool’s first Premier League goal at Anfield in each of the last three seasons. Furthermore, 76% of his league strikes have come at Anfield (13/17) — the highest proportion of any player with 15+ goals for Liverpool in the competition.
It was a familiar-looking goal for the home faithful and their manager, as Liverpool has scored the most goals via fast breaks — defined by Opta as an attempt created after the defensive team quickly turns defence into attack, after winning the ball in their own half. Put simply: a counter-attack — across the last three Premier League seasons (14), while during his time coaching Feyenoord from 2021 to 2024, Slot’s team scored the second-highest number of Eredivisie goals from this method, with 16 goals compared to PSV Eindhoven’s 20.
Slot matched two other Klopp-esque metrics: the most possession won in the final third and points from losing positions. That is not to say Slot is a Klopp regen. From a tactical perspective, he usually sets up with a 4-2-3-1 formation in possession, using a midfield double pivot to progress centrally through the first line of pressure, with a number 10, two wingers, and a central striker. Klopp (ironically) preferred an orthodox 4-3-3, which Dutch coaches often favour.
Today’s double midfield pivot saw Ryan Gravenberch, who seldom featured in a consistent role under Klopp last term following his switch from Bayern Munich, alongside Alexis Mac Allister. In today’s game, Gravenberch made more passes (77) than any other player, while he won possession more times (8) than any teammate and made the joint-most tackles (3) for the Reds.
Díaz soon turned provider for talismanic Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, who has scored in Liverpool’s first two Premier League matches of a season for the first time. It all came about in a way that would have made their former manager smile.
Fábio Carvalho, making his first Premier League appearance at Anfield since November 2022 but for Brentford, loses out to Dominik Szoboszlai in midfield, and Liverpool moves it swiftly to Díaz. He spots Salah in space, who just about stays onside. Mark Flekken comes out, but Salah curls a lovely finish around him into the corner.
In truth, Brentford were comfortably the second-best team today. Liverpool completed 92% of their passes against Brentford, marking their highest passing accuracy in a Premier League game on record (since 2003/04).
A perfect start, Slot is the first Liverpool manager to win his opening two Premier League games, but there’s still work to do. Darwin Núñez was flagged offside for the 51st time in the Premier League, the most of any player since the start of the 2022-23 season. “He’s a long way offside, Nunez. It’s a big problem he’s got to fix,” Jamie Carragher noted on Sky Sports commentary. “Hopefully Slot and his coaching staff can do it.”
