Arne Slot takes a back seat as Liverpool kick off new Anfield reign with free-flowing win over Brentford
Liverpool 2-0 Brentford: Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah delivered the goals as their new Dutch manager played a reserved role on a touchline once lit up by the passion of Jurgen Klopp
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Your support makes all the difference.An undemonstrative man stood with his hands in his pockets. Now and again, he conveyed instructions, but in an unflashy manner. There were no animated gestures, no fist pumps, no sprints along the touchline. The fourth official was not harangued, which is presumably how he prefers it. The Arne Slot reign began at Anfield and if so far he is defined by who he is not, it is in part because Jurgen Klopp, literally and metaphorically, was such a colossal figure. But the initial impression is that there is life after Klopp.
The result may suggest a low-key start for a more low-key manager. The spectacular scoreline of the day came at Molineux, not Anfield. But Slot has outstripped Klopp in one respect, becoming the first Liverpool manager since Graeme Souness to win his first two league games. He may prefer not to emulate Souness hereafter, but a starting XI of 10 Klopp signings plus Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was given his debut by the German, beat Brentford.
Mohamed Salah, often Liverpool’s top scorer in the Klopp years, is delivering a goal a game at the start of his successor’s tenure. Luis Diaz‘s opener, meanwhile, felt the kind of blisteringly brilliant goal that Slot’s predecessor brought to Merseyside. As, for the first time since 2015, Liverpool were managed by anyone other than Klopp in a competitive game at Anfield, there was change in the dugout, but rather less on the pitch.
Which, given Liverpool’s imperious home record for much of that time, suited them. Slot seemed to observe proceedings, whereas there were times when Klopp was an active participant in them. Owner John W Henry was present to witness the start of a new regime at Anfield. It is far too soon to be certain Liverpool have chosen wisely but at least Slot goes to Old Trafford next week with a maximum six points, with two clean sheets and with his forwards scoring.
Lightning-quick transitions were a feature of Klopp’s football, but Slot’s maiden Anfield goal came from a stunning counter-attack. Many a Klopp strike over the years involved his most famous front three. Two of them are gone now, but Slot’s forward trio combined: from a Brentford corner, Salah led the break, but even as he was felled on the edge of his own box, Diogo Jota took over, surging forward to release Diaz, who fired a shot into the roof of the net. The gaze was not drawn to the technical area now: within a few seconds, Slot had his hands back in his pockets anyway.
The second goal was another assisted by one forward and scored by another: after a move involving Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai, Salah sprang the offside trap to angle his shot past Mark Flekken.
And while Brentford had been on the front foot for parts of the first half, Liverpool were close to a more comprehensive victory. They struck the woodwork twice. Alexander-Arnold hit the post from a corner and, given his ability and audacity, he may have been going for goal. The substitute Cody Gakpo’s ferocious shot was deflected on to the bar by Nathan Collins.
Flekken had a busy afternoon. A rampaging Andy Robertson had a shot tipped wide and, after an inventive overhead kick by Jota, a header saved by the Dutchman. The goalkeeper also denied Ibrahima Konate, whose aerial power proved of use at both ends of the pitch. The pick of Flekken’s saves came to stop Diaz from scoring a second.
Liverpool’s eventual tallies of 19 shots and eight on target were testament to Slot’s attacking intent. There is the early impression that he has alighted on his best front three and, thus far, Jota has flourished as his first-choice No 9. He should have scored from Alexander-Arnold’s low cross but his effort was deflected over. But the Portuguese’s movement posed problems for Brentford, and Darwin Nunez now has the look of an expensive understudy.
He came on, but when Slot’s Liverpool were seeing the game out with calm possession: scarcely Nunez’s game and not always Klopp’s, but another sign things may be quieter at Anfield now.
There was a conspicuous gap in the Brentford ranks, too. They again omitted Ivan Toney, perhaps as preparation for the time when his absence is permanent. Without him, Allison’s finest save was from the centre-back Collins; otherwise, the goalkeeper was not unduly tested.
Brentford may have already reinvested the money they will get for Toney, much of it benefiting Liverpool. Fabio Carvalho got a cameo on his return to Anfield; Sepp van den Berg stayed on the bench. But one departure from Liverpool overshadows all others. Klopp is gone but, as the final whistle approached, there was a first, tentative chorus of Slot’s name all afternoon. And after the final whistle, rather than Klopp’s trademark fist pumps, there was a wave to the Kop.
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