LIVERPOOL — The message from the Kop was loud and clear. With Liverpool still searching for the breakthrough against Aston Villa, the home supporters launched into an emphatic chorus of “Arne Slot” — an unequivocal collective backing of a head coach whose credentials have been called into question following a torrid run of six defeats in seven games in all competitions.
The chant was given another airing in the second half, shortly after Ryan Gravenberch had doubled the hosts’ tally in a game that they went on to win 2-0, and again as Liverpool edged toward their first Premier League victory since Sep. 20.
On that triumphant afternoon against Everton, the idea of Slot’s side going without a league win for more than a month felt inconceivable. Forty-two days and four defeats later, however, Liverpool lined up against Villa hoping to avoid the ignominy of losing five top-flight games for the first time since the 1953-54 season.
A goal in either half from Mohamed Salah and Gravenberch spared the champions from such a mortifying fate, stopping the rot to kickstart a week that could prove season-defining. Having played three of their last four league games on the road, the clash with Unai Emery’s side offered Liverpool the chance to benefit from some home comforts and, even before a ball was kicked on Saturday night, there was a sense that the supporters were determined to turn Anfield into its unified, vociferous best.
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That defiant stance was perhaps best exemplified when, late in the first half, the all-action Dominik Szoboszlai went to ground to win his side a throw-in on the halfway line. The tackle was celebrated like a goal, with fans in all corners of the stadium rising to applaud the Hungary international.
Admittedly, Szoboszlai should have put Liverpool ahead when, having nicked the ball from Pau Torres on the edge of the penalty area, he found himself with only Emiliano Martínez to beat. That the midfielder managed to direct his strike straight at the goalkeeper is reflective of the current crisis of confidence Liverpool find themselves in the midst of, with Salah and Ibrahima Konaté also spurning presentable first-half chances.
Villa, too, had opportunities to take the lead, with Morgan Rogers striking the post and Matty Cash forcing a fine fingertip save from Giorgi Mamardashvili. And, when Hugo Ekitike’s header was disallowed for offside shortly before the break, it looked like fortune may not be in Liverpool’s favor.
But a calamitous pass from Martinez proved too tempting for Salah to pass up, with the Egypt international rolling the ball home to notch his 250th goal for the club on the stroke of half-time. It was not the most eye-catching finish in his enviable collection but, after a difficult start to the campaign, it was a just reward for a much-improved display from the Reds’ talismanic forward.
Liverpool stopped the rot with a steady 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, roared on by an Anfield crowd that stood firm with Arne Slot in the home dugout. ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA/Shutterstock
Salah has now equalled Wayne Rooney (276 for Manchester United) for the most goal involvements in the Premier League for a single club (188 goals and 88 assists for Liverpool), and his timely return to goalscoring form could be key to ensuring that the win over Villa is the start of a more sustained revival for Slot’s side.
Of course, it is clear Liverpool still have work to do if they hold genuine hope of battling for silverware this term. Occasionally in the second half the hosts were ponderous and wasteful, though after Gravenberch’s deflected strike hit the back of the net shortly before the hour mark, it never felt like the Reds were in real danger of surrendering their lead.
It was not their most dynamic display of the season, but it did not need to be. After a campaign characterised by late goals and end-to-end drama, Liverpool showed that, sometimes, control and composure offer the surest recipe for success. Certainly, it was in that formulaic manner that Slot’s side romped to the title last term, and the vocal show of faith from the supporters on Saturday night suggested those on Merseyside believe the Dutchman is capable of inspiring Liverpool to similar heights in the future.
“[The support meant] a lot of course, especially because it happened at 0-0, so not when we were leading and not when we are top of the league,” Slot said after the game. “When you are in a difficult situation as a club, as a team, and because I’m definitely a part of that … that is something what makes this club special. I think they don’t forget if you’ve been part of something special and they help you, especially if things are difficult. And that’s what it was the last few weeks. Things were difficult.”
Despite Liverpool’s recent slump, the win over Villa means Slot has reached the milestone of 100 Premier League points in just 48 games; a record matched only by the great Kenny Dalglish in the 1980s. The Dutchman finds himself in illustrious company, but he will of course know that tougher tests await for his team.
LALIGA leaders Real Madrid will visit Anfield on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League before Liverpool travel to the Etihad to take on old foes Manchester City next weekend. Last season, the Reds faced this same sequence of opponents — Villa, Madrid and City — winning all three games without conceding a single goal.
Repeating that feat again over the coming week will be a tough ask, and the landscape is very different than it was this time last year, when Slot’s side were unbeaten in Europe and flying high at the top of the Premier League table. Still, beating Villa was the first necessary step on the path to recovery; now Liverpool must show they are ready to tackle the long road ahead.
