Come Sunday evening, one of many greatest caveats of the Premier League season can be no extra. There could also be lots to say about Liverpool, however none of it would include the rejoinder “however they have not finished it in opposition to a high facet” as soon as the ultimate whistle has blown at Anfield after Chelsea’s go to.
It has been a curious facet of the fixture record to this point that Liverpool’s first seven video games have pitted them in opposition to sides presently outdoors the Premier League’s high half. A tally of 18 factors from these video games is sufficient to have them high of the desk, their brushing apart of each opponent, bar Nottingham Forest, suggesting they fulfil one requirement of a potential title challenger: not often frittering away factors in opposition to groups they need to beat.
Arne Slot is aware of in addition to anybody that one other aspect — performances in opposition to the league’s greatest — can be examined within the weeks forward. By December 5 they may have gone from dealing with solely the worst of final season’s high eight to all bar considered one of them, whereas juggling their three most tough Champions League matches. Slot has identified the favorability of the early season fixture record nearly as ceaselessly as a rival fan is likely to be anticipated to. The Dutchman himself is insisting that that is the interval the place he and his formative facet should be judged.
“[The] fixture record,” he mentioned on Friday, “now we have to take [that] into consideration as nicely. Now we face even higher gamers.”
Whether it is truthful to say that the approaching weeks will supply a greater studying of Liverpool, however it’s no much less affordable to notice that they’re approaching these video games in as tremendous a form as anybody might have anticipated given the tactical and psychological injury that Jurgen Klopp’s exit was presupposed to trigger. The Premier League’s most surprisingly distinctive creators of excessive grade photographs are rolling into city. It’s equally curious that Chelsea can be dealing with England’s most miserly protection.
Not that Liverpool haven’t been an incredible defensive staff in latest reminiscence. It simply appeared like a byproduct of their dominance. When Klopp’s staff pressed at their most ferocious it was extra an act of playmaking, easing their very own path to aim, than aggressive miserliness. Because the off ball depth died off nonetheless numbers flooded ahead and targets conceded went up, 47 in opposition to in 2022-23 and 41 in 2023-24. Nonetheless Klopp might get away with that as a result of he had the 2 greatest defensive gamers within the sport.
It helped Slot no finish in his early months that he nonetheless had Virgil van Dijk and Alisson working at one thing approximating the height of their powers. The previous acquired glowing reward as soon as extra for his management qualities. As for the latter, his supervisor didn’t try to downplay Alisson’s absence for an prompt.
“Alisson is for certain not with us within the upcoming weeks, that is clear,” mentioned Slot. “So, that is a blow for him and for us as a result of I feel he did rather well this season and did so nicely for this membership for thus a few years.”
Even in entrance of a miserly protection that’s giving up round 9 photographs a sport, Alisson is discovering his moments to shine. Two targets conceded from the 17 photographs heading in the right direction he has confronted offers Liverpool the most effective defensive file within the Premier League, him the most effective save ratio of any goalkeeper within the competitors to have confronted over 10 photographs. From the small variety of photographs he has truly confronted, to have prevented 2.77 targets is nearly laughable. Right here is, by a long way, the most effective goalkeeper on this planet.
Liverpool would possibly fairly contend in addition they have the most effective backup goalkeeper within the Premier League not less than within the type of Caoimhin Kelleher, who carried out as impressively within the win over Bournemouth in September as he has on many events of late (no marvel Giorgi Mamardashvili is Anfield-bound subsequent summer season given the frequency with which Alisson appears to undergo accidents). Irrespective of how good Kelleher is, nevertheless, he isn’t the most effective goalkeeper on this planet. Take that degree of expertise out and any protection will undergo.
Not a lot, nevertheless, that an avalanche of targets is inevitable. In spite of everything, Alisson hasn’t had a lot to do that season, nor have he, Kelleher and (for 11 minutes in opposition to Crystal Palace) Vitezslav Jaros seen shot after shot whistle previous their posts. Liverpool aren’t giving up many openings in any respect, their 5.17 non-penalty anticipated targets (npxG) allowed the most effective within the league by almost a complete xG.
There seems to be a bit extra restraint in how Liverpool go about issues. Per Wyscout, they permit round 10 % extra passes per defensive motion than final season. The early indicators are that in possession they’re working a bit bit deeper from entrance to again, limiting the alternatives for speedy transitions into the areas their rearguard would possibly vacate.
The change to a midfield extra carefully resembling a double pivot has introduced a extra muscular defend to a backline that had been crying out for a destroyer forward of them ever since Fabinho’s legs left him. You may not be a defensive energy with considered one of Ryan Gravenberch or Alexis MacAllister on the base, however each make for a dynamic pairing, every sitting within the league’s high 20 for ball recoveries.
Behind them, Ibrahima Konate seems extra just like the participant he was turning into in his first 12 months in England whereas Andrew Robertson seems to be enjoying a extra reserved function. Trent Alexander-Arnold, too, is only a contact extra conservative in his inverting into midfield. All that eases the burden on Liverpool’s heart backs, who do not need to be fairly as nice as Van Dijk usually is at masking house down the flanks. Simply have a look at how exhausting it’s for opponents to get to the byline.
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All this would possibly nicely change within the weeks forward. Liverpool’s construction seems to be in place. The most effective attackers blow proper via that anyway. There’s nothing to say that Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke cannot merely isolate their full again on Sunday afternoon and blow by him, nor that Cole Palmer won’t be able to seek out house between the traces. That’s to say nothing of the injury Bukayo Saka, Florian Wirtz and Kylian Mbappe would possibly do within the weeks forward. Whether or not Slot’s system will maintain in opposition to them is for now unknowable. What we do know, although, is that the indicators of an improved protection are there.
Scroll down for our predicted rating on this and each different considered one of right this moment’s Premier League video games:
Premier League predictions
Saturday, October 19
Tottenham 2, West Ham 0
Fulham 1, Aston Villa 1
Ipswich 1, Everton 2
Manchester United 0, Brentford 0
Newcastle 1, Brighton 1
Southampton 0, Leicester 2
Bournemouth 1, Arsenal 2
Sunday, October 20
Wolves 1, Manchester Metropolis 3
Liverpool 2, Chelsea 1
Monday, October 21
Nottingham Forest 0, Crystal Palace 0