The previous weekend was a stellar and fully action-packed week for the English football lovers. The clash of the heavyweights lifted the tempo of the fans’ and the football. Either it be a comeback from Brighton Hove and Albion against Tottenham or Nottingham Forest restricting Chelsea to a stalemate at West London, the matchdays were special. One such battle was between Liverpool and Crystal Palace. The game was a display of strength for the Merseyside club at the big stage. They ran past the Eagles to clinch all three points home. Liverpool have a lot of pragmatics to collect from the victory.
The fixture held a great importance for Arne Slot and his men in their title charge. It was a comfortable yet thrilling win for the Reds who travelled to Selhurst Park. Although the game ended with a 1-0 scoreline, the travelling fans can have a lot to take back home. The only tie breaker between the two clubs was an exquisite finish from Diogo Jota in the early minutes of the game. A well-weighted low pass from Cody Gakpo was met by the Portuguese forward who buried the shot into the back of the net. The fans may not seem happy with the scoreline given the quality they possess going forward. Nevertheless, Slot has a lot to be happy from his performance.
Positives Liverpool can carry from Selhurst Park victory
Let us have a look at what are the pros for the Merseyside club as they go forward in the campaign post international break.
Competition for Left Wing – The Dutch manager will be having a pretty hard yet happy time with his choice for the left wing. Gakpo has been in a form of his life since last few months. Even in the last three Premier League games he started, he has 2 goals and 2 assists. Moreover, he was the Man of the match in all those games.
The other option for the wing, Luis Diaz has also been on fire since the campaign started. He is among the top scorers of the league and even scored a brace against Manchester United last month. This has been one of the career-defining seasons for the South American winger.
Best centre-back pairing – The centre-back duo of Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate has been a menace for the opposition forwards so far this season. The Dutch skipper has been their best player since last few years and now Konate is also on his way to become a rock at the back. Even during the Palace game, the only time they were ever properly troubled was the disallowed goal in the first minute and once or twice when Mateta entered the game.
Liverpool have only conceded four times in all competitions of England and Europe so far. Credit where its due, Allison Becker, Kelleher, Robertson and an improved defensive cover of Trent Alexander Arnold has been a key as well in the achievement. Fans will hope to see the beautiful defensive display to continue for a much longer time.
Another important remark is the attacking midfield option Arne possesses. The rotation of Curtis Jones was also pretty much decent in the game. The Englishman replaced Dominik Szoboszlai who has been an engine in the midfield for the Reds. Although Jones is not as technical as the Hungarian, he still left an impact on the field for Slot to think about.
Potential areas to work for Arne Slot
Although the team is looking very well gelled-up, Slot still has to look into some matters. In the previous game, the deep lying midfielders were not able to connect with the frontline swiftly. Jota had to drop back at times to link-up. The following international break will be a massive opportunity for the management to resolve these loopholes. Overall the performance of the club has been above par given the manager’s first season in the English top flight. It will be intriguing to see how the season moulds at the end of the campaign for Liverpool if they want to thrive and attain victory.
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