Arne Slot called for a repeat of Liverpool’s performance against Real Madrid when the Premier League champions visit Manchester City and will no doubt repeat himself in the coming days. For Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior on Tuesday, read Erling Haaland on Sunday. Nullifying another of the game’s finest strikers, while keeping a third clean sheet in a row, would reinforce Slot’s post-Madrid message that Liverpool remain in the chase for the biggest prizes. They do not include the Carabao Cup.
The Champions League victory over Xabi Alonso’s La Liga leaders, who had 13 wins from 14 games before their arrival at Anfield, was the perfect remedy for a Liverpool team looking to heal the wounds of the worst run of Slot’s reign. It was also perfect preparation for what awaits at the Etihad Stadium: an opponent that wants to play out, that will not sit in a low block and carries an obvious, rampant threat.
Slot’s instructions to his team at Anfield included containing the source of 18 of Madrid’s 26 goals in La Liga this season, Mbappé and Vinícius, both of whom will be glad of a break from Conor Bradley. Providing Bradley hasn’t tracked them back to Spain, that is. Liverpool succeeded convincingly, becoming only the third team to prevent Mbappé from scoring against them in a season in which the France international has produced 18 goals in 15 appearances for his club. Haaland has 17 in 13 games for City before his reunion with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday – plus nine in three outings with Norway. The objective is clear for Liverpool in their attempts to stage a repeat on Sunday.
“It will be similar a little bit,” said Virgil van Dijk, who dominated Haaland at Anfield last season when Liverpool followed up a 2-0 win against Madrid with a 2-0 defeat of Pep Guardiola’s team. “We are facing a very in-form team like today and a striker, like today, who was in form. When that happens you have to be spot-on and I think we showed we were good as a team defensively. Defensively we were very solid. We created good opportunities and they had a goalkeeper that saved them a couple of times.”
Slot’s list of reasons for why things went right for Liverpool against Madrid – and Aston Villa on Saturday for that matter – were consistent with his explanations for why things went wrong during a run of six defeats in seven games: more recovery time between games, not conceding first and having to take more risks, and the improving fitness of players such as Alexis Mac Allister and Bradley after injury-hit pre-seasons. They backed up his previous arguments and decision in effect to sacrifice the Carabao Cup by fielding a weakened squad against Crystal Palace. Liverpool’s intensity and work rate on Tuesday were noticeably superior to recent weeks.
Other reasons, specifically connected to a second clean sheet in succession after 10 games without one, went unsaid. The return of last season’s midfield core of Dominik Szoboszlai, Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch enhanced the protection to Liverpool’s backline. The overdue return at left-back of Andy Robertson, who has started each of Liverpool’s past three wins, restored calmness and authority to a defence that also benefited from consistent selection. Florian Wirtz enjoyed another good night in the Champions League but not in the No 10 role he has occupied in the Premier League. Szoboszlai was again Liverpool’s driving influence in the centre. The Hungary captain is flourishing this season and has established himself as a leader in Slot’s side.
“What you see is what you get from Dom,” said Van Dijk. “He is very important. The energy he brings on the pitch is incredible, the quality that he has is outstanding and he is learning each and every game. He is developing into the player we all feel like he could be. He is already showing that for the country he is playing for and it is about keeping on doing it for the rest of the season.”
Szoboszlai started up front alongside Curtis Jones and scored at the Etihad last season as Slot caught City cold by switching to a 4-2-2-2. Victory on that February day took Liverpool 11 points clear at the summit with 11 games to play. On Sunday they will be playing catch-up but, as Slot reminded everyone in the wake of defeating Madrid, there is plenty of road left for Liverpool to stage a recovery.
