Arne Slot has done a remarkable job in stamping authority on his new team given he has been operating in the shadows of his legendary predecessor. This victory, though, had all the hallmarks of a Jurgen Klopp classic.
To use the old phrase coined by Klopp, this was the Mentality Monsters 2.0, as the Reds showed resilience in abundance to fight back from a goal down – and stinking first-half performance – to beat a spirited Brighton team and return to the Premier League summit.
It all felt a bit like the late 2010s and Klopp’s great team who won a sixth European Cup and first-ever Premier League for Liverpool. Mohamed Salah curling goals into the top corner, the midfield pressing like relentless dogs let off a leash and Joe Gomez imperious at the back.
Slot had namechecked two teams on Friday as sides he used to rush home to watch or study their tactics: Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona and, *checks notes*, Brighton. Funnily enough, Brighton played like prime Barcelona for 45 minutes and strangled Liverpool to near-submission.
Fabian Hurzeler’s scintillating Seagulls led through Ferdi Kadioglu’s first-half strike and then took turns to miss gilt-edged chances to make it two, before Cody Gakpo’s attempted cross evaded everyone — red or blue shirt — to equalise before Salah won it three minutes later.
Liverpool came from a goal down to beat Brighton and go top of the Premier League table
Arne Slot has done a remarkable job in stamping his authority but this win had all the hallmarks of a Jurgen Klopp classic
Ferdi Kadioglu hit a peach of a first-time effort into the far corner to give Brighton the lead
They say the great Liverpool managers ‘get’ the club and this felt like the day he might have gained a true understanding of the folklore around the fields of Anfield Road, as the Kop almost sucked the ball into the net in a fightback performance this club is famed for.
‘I will have to call Jurgen Klopp and ask him how to cope with the atmosphere,’ said Hurzeler. ‘I had only experienced it on TV before. It was loud, wild, but you have to stay calm. In the second half we couldn’t find solutions and the dominance of Liverpool grew bigger.’
At 31, Hurzeler is not just one of the brightest coaches in Europe but a fine orator. With those few sentences, he summed this game up perfectly. His team were swashbuckling, making Liverpool look bang average. But then, amid the ‘wild’ noise, they folded and were blown away.
‘I said a few things at half-time but I was not screaming or fuming around — I made sure the players knew this was not enough,’ said Slot, who added that every player deserved to be substituted at the break. ‘Our fans were incredible in the second half. Incredible. That was the loudest since I got here.’
Before their collapse, Brighton invited mistakes from Liverpool who misplaced passes aplenty, made half-hearted challenges and lost out in nearly every 50-50 moment. This was a clinic from Hurzeler’s team, who regularly passed through the home midfield as if they were not there.
That was how the first goal came, starting with Jan Paul Van Hecke and culminating with Kadioglu’s peach of a first-time effort into the same corner of the net that was later rippling from Salah’s winner. A zapping move coupled with some lacklustre defending for both of those.
It really should have been two as Brighton squandered plethora of big chances. Take your pick: Yasin Ayari bypassing the whole of Liverpool’s defence with one pass before Georginio Rutter shot straight at Caoimhin Kelleher, Kadioglu volleying over or Danny Welbeck shooting a free-kick inches wide.
Cody Gakpo’s attempted cross evaded everyone, red or blue shirt, and sailed in
The first half was best summed up when Trent Alexander-Arnold lost the ball on the edge of his own penalty area and Alexis Mac Allister needed to take one for the team to foul Welbeck. If he did not pull him down, the in-form Englishman was through on goal all of Liverpool’s own doing.
Whatever Slot said at half-time worked, though, as his troops came out for the second half like a completely new team. Suddenly, they were passing with more intent and creating chances left, right and centre. The Anfield crowd responded and started to roar their team on.
Gomez, who has never scored for Liverpool in more than 250 games, came on for injured Ibrahima Konate at the break and nearly scored with his first touch, before Mac Allister and Virgil van Dijk fluffed chances. Bart Verbruggen twice denied Salah from close range.
But Liverpool soon turned the game on its head with goals in minutes 69 and 72. First, Gakpo tried to find Darwin Nunez with an inswinging cross that ended up in the back of the net before Salah scored a trademark goal after a rapid counter-attack led by Curtis Jones.
Mohamed Salah cut in from the right and curled into the top corner to put Liverpool ahead
The Egyptian is now eighth on the all-time Premier League scorers chart, leaping past former Liverpool great Robbie Fowler
Jones fed Salah on the right wing, he cut inside – Pervis Estupinan certainly not the first left back skipped past with ease by the Egyptian – and, well, you know the rest. Right-hand corner of the box, left foot, goalkeeper’s top right.
Another week, another record for Salah, who is now eighth on the all-time Premier League scorers chart, leaping past former Liverpool great Robbie Fowler. Next in his sights are Thierry Henry (11 ahead) and Frank Lampard (13). Knowing Salah, that will not take him long.
Given the circumstances of the victory, one expected to see the Liverpool manager racing over to the Kop beating his chest. Nothing of the sort, of course, as Slot shared a warm embrace with his right-hand men and aimed a simple one-handed wave to the fans.
He is not here for show, Slot, and some have suspected his lowkey demeanour is allowing his team to go somewhat under the radar. Not for much longer, though, as the business-like boss is top of the league. Beyond his poker face, he will know this was a season-defining win.
