Liverpool fans were understandably skeptical before the arrival of Arne Slot.
The Reds were surrendering Jurgen Klopp’s comfort and entering the unknown. But the Premier League has chewed up and spat out Dutch managers in the past, with Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag’s misery serving as a warning sign for the Reds.
However, doubters have been converted to believers in the first few months of Slot’s impressive reign. The former Feyenoord boss has quickly impressed the Anfield faithful, not just with his calm and assured persona, but with a flurry of measured and, above all, game-winning displays.
Liverpool are firmly in the Premier League title race heading into the hectic winter period and the 46-year-old has supporters dreaming of a second triumph in the competition.
But how does Slot’s work Liverpool compare to Klopp’s title-winning Reds in 2019/20?
11 games into the 2024/25 Premier League season and things couldn’t be going much better for Slot. The Reds sit at the top of the table with 28 points, having failed to win just two of their games – a 2-2 draw with Arsenal and a surprise 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest. Saturday’s 2-0 win against Aston Villa pushed Liverpool five points clear at the top.
However, the Reds were marginally better after 11 games during Klopp’s title-winning 2019/20 campaign. Liverpool had won ten and drawn one of their outings, just failing to beat Man Utd at Old Trafford, picking up 31 points in the process.
Coincidentally, Liverpool’s 11th game of the season during the 2019/20 campaign also came against Villa. It was a result that proved pivotal in the Reds’ rise to the top, coming from behind in the Midlands to win 2-1 after goals in the 87th and 94th minutes from Andy Robertson and Sadio Mane respectively.
The win at Villa Park gave Liverpool supporters the impression that it was a special year and the Anfield crowd probably felt similar after the victory over Unai Emery’s side on Saturday evening.
Slot has been praised for adding a measure of control to a Liverpool side that prioritized chaos and intensity under Klopp. His defensive record under the Dutchman reflects this fact, with just six goals conceded in 11 games in the Premier League. Six clean sheets is arguably the highest in the division.
Liverpool have also drawn attention in the final third. While they rarely got teams within three or four goals, they have been consistent and prolific scorers, producing 21 goals in 11 games. That’s an average of just under two per game.
The statistics support the belief that Liverpool were more energetic than risk-takers under Klopp. The 2019/20 Reds produced an impressive 26 goals in the opening 11 gameweeks, but their defensive record of nine clean sheets, with just two clean sheets, highlights the German’s more carefree approach.
Although slightly less exciting, Liverpool’s more controlled style at Sloto will be hugely beneficial to a sustained title bid.
If it wasn’t for a reef Manchester City side, Klopp’s Reds would have won more than one Premier League title. During the 2019/20 campaign, Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens produced a rare off-season.
Man City finished the campaign 18 points clear of Liverpool and were already six off the pace in Week 11. While they and Leicester City boasted a superior goal difference to the Reds, the Cityzens only had 25 points to spare prove it at that time.
It is almost the same in 2024/25. Man City have had a woeful start to the season by their high standards and will be without a key Rodri during the rest of the campaign. They are still second in the Premier League table with 23 points, but are five adrift of Liverpool heading into the international period.
Unlike in 2019/20, however, Liverpool also have Arsenal to worry about. The Gunners have been runners-up in the last two seasons and will likely find themselves in the title race at the end of the campaign, even if they have endured a difficult start to the season.
During the Reds’ Premier League title run, they overcame almost every obstacle, including the season-halting coronavirus pandemic, and won 26 of their first 27 league games. Slot’s side will face their fair share of challenges, but early signs suggest they have the ability and resilience to overcome them.
The pessimistic Liverpool supporter would have argued that Slot had not faced many elite sides during the start of his reign. But the last wins over Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa – and a respectable one 2-2 draw with Arsenal in North London – have shown their credentials.
Of course, bigger challenges will come. Liverpool will likely have to juggle the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Champions League as they enter 2025 and also face mammoth clashes with Man City in the Premier League which could prove decisive.
Liverpool’s first outings in these competitions during the 2019/20 season proved beneficial for their title and a crucial 3-1 win over Man City at home, a game that came in week 12, helped them to establish themselves as Premier League favourites.
If Slot can overcome Man City and Arsenal in this season’s Premier League duels, he has an incredible chance to claim a sensational title in his debut season. However, fighting on four fronts is an entirely different proposition. Caution is advised early in the season.
