Liverpool extended their streak at the top of the Premier League for another week on Sunday, beating Chelsea in a 2-1 win that was closely contested by both sides.
The Reds opened the scoring when Mohamed Salah converted a penalty in the 29th minute and although Nicolas Jackson’s equalizer in the 48th minute added an extra layer of competition to the match, Curtis Jones’ goal in the 51st minute gave Liverpool an advantage that they never handed over again. It marks the first major win of Arne Slot’s time as Liverpool manager, with the Dutchman building on the strong first impression he made in his first season in England.
Elements of Slot’s preferred style were on display on Sunday, as Liverpool were outgunned by Chelsea but were more deliberate with their goal attempts than their opponents. The Reds managed just eight shots, a low but not necessarily unknown number for a team that hasn’t taken more than 16 shots in a game all season. They filled the gap in the quality of their shots – five were on target, and together all attempts on target translated into 2.26 expected goals, better than Chelsea’s 1.45 xG from 12 shots.
The quality over quantity approach is becoming a staple of Slot’s. Although Liverpool rank eighth in the league in shots scored, they are third in shots on target percentage and second in expected goals percentage with 16.24, and are true to form with 15 goals in eight games. The Reds also maintained their strong defensive run despite setbacks, conceding just three goals over the course of the Premier League season so far.
As Slot begins to add big games to his Liverpool CV, he has shown some range in his tactical approach. The Reds ceded possession to Chelsea and had just 43.1% of the ball, something they have only done once this season – their 3-0 win over Manchester United last month. They took two more shots on target that day, but weren’t necessarily an attacking juggernaut, taking just three shots on target and scoring 1.79 expected goals. However, they never looked particularly uncomfortable against United, and against a stronger opponent in Chelsea that was the case again.
Finally, Liverpool transformed into a more subdued side, with the average number of shots per game dropping from 20.8 last season to 14.1 this season. Their end product hasn’t suffered much, though: they averaged 1.9 goals per game and two expected goals, slightly down from last season’s 2.3 goals per game and 2.4 expected goals. Slot’s approach has really helped their defensive prospects, with their goals against average dropping from 1.1 to 0.4 this season.
The win gives Liverpool a one-point lead at the top of the table over Manchester City, who were imperfect in a victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, and gives them an impressive early start in a perhaps unexpected title charge in Slot’s first year. Liverpool have now recorded ten wins in their first eleven games under Slot, which is as strong a progress report as any for a newcomer to the Premier League.
It will be up to them to continue this form, especially against a wide range of tests and as Slot works with Jurgen Klopp’s talented but aging squad. With a rebuild appearing to be next year’s problem, Slot will have another fascinating tactical test next week at Arsenal, another defensive team with title aspirations of their own.