Liverpool's 'heavy metal' approach under Jurgen Klopp may be a thing of the past - but Arne Slot passed his first big test against Chelsea.
Liverpool's reshaped style under new head coach Arne Slot may be more middle of the road than the "heavy metal" of predecessor Jurgen Klopp, but it has taken them on a direct route to the top of the Premier League.
This must never be taken as a criticism of the German, who left at the end of last season after a nine-year spell as boss, but Slot's early statistics are hugely impressive - the home defeat by Nottingham Forest in September the one blot on his record. Chelsea's pass completion rate of 88.1% was the highest on record, since 2003-04, by any away team at Anfield in a Premier League game. And yet, apart from a couple of late scares, Liverpool gave off an air of control that is fast becoming a Slot hallmark.
And there is also a more structured defensive look to Slot's Liverpool, with the stats suggesting they are pressing less aggressively this season. They regained possession in their attacking third 6.1 times per game last season, while that figure is now down to 4.3 times. Mohamed Salah celebrates after his penalty set Liverpool on their way to victory over Chelsea at AnfieldLiverpool also responded well to pressure applied from down the M6 by Manchester City earlier on Sunday - Guardiola's defending champions briefly returning to top spot with a dramatic, controversial late win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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