Liverpool's relentless start to the season under new manager Arne Slot is seeing the team pump out record after record, and the scene of their latest
Liverpool’s relentless start to the season under new manager Arne Slot is seeing the team pump out record after record, and the scene of their latest win felt poignant.
Liverpool ground out a 1-0 victory in the Champions League on Wednesday at RB Leipzig, one of the clubs that former manager Jurgen Klopp, who recently left the Reds after nearly nine years as its popular manager, will soon be overseeing in his new role as head of global soccer at Red Bulls.
Few can have imagined that Slot would escape Klopp shadow at Liverpool this quickly.
After all, Liverpool has now won the opening six away games of the season for the first time in the club’s 132-years history and Slot is the first manager to win as many as 11 of his 12 games in charge across all competitions in English top-flight history.
The Dutchman has already guided Liverpool to the top of the Premier League eight games into the season. Now a third straight win in the Champions League has left Liverpool as one of only two teams along with Aston Villa on a maximum of nine points so far.
“So many great players have worn this shirt, so many great managers have been at this club,” Slot said. “So, if you can achieve something that hasn’t been achieved before, it is almost impossible at a big club like this. To achieve it is always nice.
“Records are nice, but there is something else that is nicer than records and we both know what I mean, I think, that’s trophy,.”
No wonder Liverpool’s traveling contingent applauded Slot as he walked towards them after the final whistle on Wednesday.
“He just has to keep going, keep improving us, keep showing what he wants from us, and have fun with us and I think we are showing that on the pitch” Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk said. “But the season is so long. We’ll stay humble and keep going.”
Darwin Nunez Scored the only goal of the game in the 27th minute, with Liverpool needing two smart saves from back-up goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher filling in for the injured Alisson Becker to preserve the win.
“If we had left this place with a draw, I would have really felt we had lost something,” Slot said. “For the 70 previous minutes, except maybe for the first 10, we dominated.
Mohammed Salah was spared the last 30 minutes in Leipzig as he was substituted and while the Egyptian looked aghast at going off, even that decision worked out well for Slot.
“We have some injuries now, so I have to take care of the players that have played a lot, and Mo is one of them and on Sunday, a big game is coming up again,” Slot said ahead of their weekend match against Arsenal.
“So, I need to use as many payers as I can use for these next tough weeks and these tough months that are coming up, so that they are all prepared to play.”