Slot’s solid and steady Liverpool defence could form the basis for the coming season | Liverpool

After three games as manager of Liverpool, Arne Slot has had the best possible start. The Dutchman’s team enters the international break with nine points and zero goals conceded, further strengthened by a quick win over their arch-rivals, Manchester United.

Slot has yet to use a player who was unavailable for Jurgen Klopp, opting for small adjustments on the pitch to get everyone on the same wavelength. Slot is a great communicator and a calming character, but he suffered one of the few negatives in his 270 minutes by having to withdraw Jarell Quansah at half-time of the opening win over Ipswich, concerned about the number of duels the 21-year-old was losing.

It was an indication that Slot, in addition to his jovial demeanor, is happy to make tough decisions. It proved to be the right choice; Ibrahima Konaté replaced Quansah and Slot kept the same line-up for victories over Brentford and United, while teams struggled to beat Liverpool. Slot has become the third manager in the Premier League era to win his first three games in England’s top division without conceding a goal. José Mourinho at Chelsea achieved that feat in 2004 and Sven Göran-Eriksson did it three years later at Manchester City. All included a win over Manchester United.

Four of Liverpool’s five defenders have been locked in for a long time, fitness permitting. It’s an experienced unit of Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson. Quansah and Konaté have fought to be the second centre-back alongside the captain and the verdict is in on who currently has the shirt.

Erik ten Hag dreams of a stable defence. He brought in Matthijs de Ligt for a full debut alongside Lisandro Martínez to create the latest central defensive pairing in a cast of characters that has changed almost weekly over the past 14 months. Consistency in football is essential, because knowing what you are getting from the player next to you helps you do your own job better.

One issue that hampered Liverpool’s title challenge last season was a porous defence that allowed too many shots. Ensuring that Alisson is not over-pressured is part of Slot’s new mantra. Alexander-Arnold can still move into midfield and Robertson is given the luxury of pushing forward to aid attacks down the left, but that doesn’t come at the expense of stability. The manager was still critical of Alexander-Arnold’s passing at Old Trafford, saying standards need to be maintained even when he is cruising.

A settled defence has helped those up front adapt to their roles, knowing that the back line is well drilled. Without a defensive midfielder eager to disrupt play, Liverpool have been more about holding up the ball, with Ryan Gravenberch playing as a No.6. He may not be the first to make a tackle, but he showed his ability to read the game at Old Trafford, intercepting Casemiro’s pass and launching a counter-attack that culminated in Luis Díaz heading in to make it 1-0.

Every goal at Old Trafford came from aggression in midfield, with the visitors pressuring United into making mistakes. This will be routine in all games and sometimes opponents can break the pressure, but Liverpool’s players know they are taking fewer risks because of who they have at the back. Brentford caused problems on the counter-attack at Anfield, but there was never any panic. Even when chances were created to test Alisson, the Brazilian was equal to , happier not to be overworked and able to concentrate more calmly in front of him.

There is joy and enthusiasm in the attacking play, with Slot offering equal amounts of confidence and freedom to Díaz, Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah. The players want to enjoy themselves and express themselves, something Van Dijk and Konaté do differently. The captain orchestrates the players up front and manages his team-mates on the pitch, knowing where everyone needs to be. Liverpool’s defence is the foundation of the team and the season.

Tougher tests lie ahead as Liverpool return to the Champions League and a fortnight of fixtures. The hectic schedule will result in the need to change personnel to keep them fresh for what will be a long, slog-filled season for those with trophy ambitions. Ipswich were playing their first Premier League game in two decades, Brentford were without a recognised striker and United were short on confidence and competence, but keeping both teams out of the game will strengthen the mentality and emphasise within Liverpool that Slot’s way is the right way.

Liverpool won their first three games without conceding a goal in 2018–19, collecting 97 points, but ultimately finished second behind Manchester City, who had made a decent start of their own. Last season, Liverpool recorded 10 shutouts in 38 games en route to third place, while champions City had 13 and Arsenal 18, an indication that improvements are needed to challenge for the title. The early signs are promising. As Sir Alex Ferguson said: “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.”