Liverpool delivered an impressive pre-season win over Sevilla at Anfield on Sunday afternoon and there are plenty of talking points from the game.
Liverpool 4-1 Sevilla
Pre Season (4), Anfield
August 11, 2024
Goals: Jota 30′, Diaz 39, 45+1, Nyoni 68′; Peque 66′
Ipswich lineup hinted at
There’s now less than a week to go until Liverpool kick off their first Premier League campaign under Arne Slot. This Sevilla game at Anfield felt like the dress rehearsal ahead of the Reds’ visit to Ipswich on Saturday.
With that game being so close it would be fair to presume that the new Liverpool head coach picked what he perceives as his strongest starting XI at the moment and the one he is likely to pick in the club’s opening game.
This would mean Jarell Quansah being selected over Ibrahima Konate, and Ryan Gravenberch also coming into the side to play in the no.6 role.
Given Andy Robertson is not 100% fit either (although he will feature against Las Palmas later in the day), Kostas Tsimikas could also be expected to start Liverpool’s opening Premier League game.
Gravenberch in the no.6 role
We still don’t quite know who will be Slot’s first choice no.6 at Liverpool in the long-term. Against Sevilla, it was Gravenberch who was trialled in the position and Dutchman will be pleased by his efforts.
He controlled the middle of the park, dropping deep to pick up the ball to help in the early phase of the build-up but also providing some defensive stability.
As per FotMob he completed 95% of his attempted passes, misplacing just three passes in total from 56.
It’s important to mention that while this was a good audition from the Dutch international but it does not negate the need for Liverpool to invest in a more natural holding midfielder.
Hopefully, there will be more positive news on that front next week.
New (old) role for Trent
During Jurgen Klopp‘s final season we grew accustomed to Trent Alexander-Arnold inverting into the middle of the park.
But in these early glimpses of him under Slot, the Liverpool full-back was far more reserved. There were less instances of Alexander-Arnold inverting, with the no.66 keeping closer to the right flank instead.
We also saw more incisive and short passes from Alexander-Arnold, although there were still instances of him making his trademark long switches at the right moments.
It’s all about balance and in this instance it seems like Slot has found how to utilise the best of Alexander-Arnold’s skillset with the 25-year-old having a great game.
The emergence of the no.10?
Liverpool’s third goal of the match was yet another moment in which Slot’s advanced midfielder proved to be decisive.
During pre-season it’s been Harvey Elliott who has been used in that role to great effect with the 21-year-old registering two assists in Liverpool’s tour to the USA.
This time around it was Dominik Szoboszlai playing in the advanced role and managed to get in behind Sevilla’s defence with a brilliant forward run as part of an ‘up back and through’ combination from Alisson‘s excellent pass out.
Breaking into the box and set-up by Mohamed Salah, just as it was against Real Betis, this time around Szoboszlai turned provider squaring the ball across to Luis Diaz.
The ideal Slot forward
Diogo Jota was at it again with a sublime finish for Liverpool’s opening goal of the game. Later, he would turn provider setting-up Luis Diaz for the Colombian’s first goal of the game.
It’s now two assists and one goal for Jota in three pre-season matches and a total of 200 minutes played.
He’s averaging a goal contribution every 66 minutes under Slot so far and while these are early days it does feel like he’s the more ideal forward in Slot’s system.
The Portuguese international will drop back, he will press the opposition and he will also heavily involve himself in the build-up, too.
It remains to be seen, but unless injury wreak further havoc on Jota’s Liverpool career – he could be set for a fruitful season ahead.
It’s pre-season, so nothing to go overboard on either way, but the early signs are certainly good and Slot’s style of play is certainly being delivered.
