Arne Slot’s in perfectly by claiming most wins as Liverpool manager in opening 10 games

League leaders Liverpool continued their impressive start to the campaign by claiming a narrow 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday. 

Diogo Jota’s ninth-minute effort was enough to clinch the spoils in a hard fought game at Selhurst Park, and extends the Reds’ unbeaten run in the top-flight to seven matches (six wins, one draw). 

Liverpool have also enjoyed a strong start in the Champions League, seeing off both AC Milan and Bologna, as well as emphatically decapitating West Ham 5-1 in the first round of the Carabao Cup, taking their record this season to nine wins from 10 in all competitions – it is the best return after 10 games under any manager in the club’s history.

After nine trophy-laden seasons with Jurgen Klopp at the helm, a summer of transition was expected to linger into the new campaign but so far the Reds have looked as fresh and invigorated as ever. The ageing old guard of Mohamed Salah – for whom recent transfer speculation has been particularly rife – Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker have looked anything but past their best, as at times mooted by the certain corners of the media. 

Liverpool’s defence has looked incredibly assured, as they have shipped just two goals in their opening seven league matches so far, while Salah has registered six goals and five assists across all formats. It is a testament to new manager Arne Slot and just how well he has adapted to life at Anfield. 

The juxtaposition of old and new is broadly apparent. Klopp matched his intense – and sometimes a little overzealous – tactical approach with his own demeanour, often cutting an exasperated figure on the touchline during games. 

Slot, by extreme contrast, exudes an overwhelmingly calming presence in the dugout and the style of football he is implementing is patient and considered to match. Both methods are effective but after close to a decade of the former, a change of tact is sometimes required, and in this case it seems to be paying dividends for a club who will have firm aspirations of winning the league this season for the first time in what will be five years come May. 

Success on the road 

Saturday’s victory away at Palace means that Liverpool have won each of their first four away games in the Premier League for only the third time in history; the last of which being in 1990-91 and 2019-20. 

It appears, from the outside looking in at least, that Slot’s ability to calm the tempo and exuberance of recent iterations of his inherited Liverpool team – who have for so long placed such a strong emphasis on a suffocatingly high press and quick-fire build up play – has made them a lot more measured and well-balanced. These are facets of the game which are particularly important when playing away from home on compact pitches against sides who tend to sit back and primarily just defend for 90 minutes, attempting the odd counter-attack here and there. 

Slot’s impressive 10-game record beats the great Jurgen Klopp’s by three wins, while it also surpasses the eight wins achieved by both William Connell and William Edward Barclay. It is a run which sees Liverpool enter the upcoming international break as league leaders – ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal by a solitary point. 

With an extremely challenging run ahead of them, remaining in top spot this side of Christmas will be no easy task. Slot and his men are next in action on October 20th, at home to a new-look Chelsea side who look to have finally found some rhythm under Enzo Maresca, before facing off against Arsenal; Brighton, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Newcastle and rivals Everton in the Premier League, as well as RB Leipzig; Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid in Europe between now and December 7th.

It has been a tremendous start for the Dutchman in L4, but there is still a hell of a long way to go.