Arne Slot’s Liverpool side have rediscovered form this past week, with an assured 2-0 victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League a predecessor to an impressive 1-0 dispatching of Spanish giants Real Madrid under the Champions League lights at Anfield on Tuesday November 4.
The Reds were good value for their triumph, coming courtesy of an Alexis Mac Allister header from a wicked Dominik Szoboszlai delivery, who’s tireless displays in midfield have helped propel his side back to winning ways. Thibaut Courtois was busy in the Real goal, denying Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitike and Virgil van Dijk before Liverpool pressure finally told, as Mac Allister guided a powerful header beyond the towering Belgian.
Considerable pressure had been mounting on Slot and his team following a turgid vein of form, as the Reds lost 6 in 7, with a horrid run of results and performances compounded by a 2-1 defeat at home to fierce rivals Manchester United, which left some sections of the fanbase calling for the Dutch manager’s head.
Slot appears to have answered these questions of his competency by making a subtle tactical tweak, reverting to the more refined brand of football which brought such success to the title winning side of 2024/25.
Marquee signing Florian Wirtz, who has so far struggled to adapt to the pace and intensity of English football, produced arguably his finest showing in a Liverpool shirt so far against Madrid, and fans will be hoping he can kick on and keep displaying the undeniable class that convinced Slot to spend $157 million to secure his services from Bayer Leverkusen.
Meanwhile, former Liverpool man Trent Alexander-Arnold was met with a frosty reception upon his introduction in the 80th minute, making his first appearance against Liverpool since he swapped Merseyside for Madrid in the summer, with the decision to leave his boyhood club on a free met with fierce consternation by the Kop faithful.
Slot’s side return to league action this weekend, as a mouth-watering tie with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City awaits, with Liverpool aiming to well and truly reaffirm their active participation in this year’s title race.
