Arne Slot's Liverpool
Arne Slot has implemented a transformation in Liverpool’s playing style, maintaining the intensity and verticality that have characterized the team in recent years under Klopp while adding his own unique touch of positional organization and possession control.
After several months of work, a clear identity can be seen in the team, combining the usual Anfield energy with Slot’s meticulous tactical structure.
According to StatsBomb data, Klopp’s Liverpool had an average possession of 61% over 58 games in the 23/24 season, whereas Arne Slot has already increased that figure to 65% in just 16 games this season.
Furthermore, according to Opta, in the 22/23 season, Klopp’s Liverpool averaged 10.1 high presses (pressure actions within the first 40 meters of the opponent’s field), while with Arne Slot, they now average 7.5. This indicates a reduced focus on recovering the ball high up the pitch, adopting a more cautious pressing model.
Let’s see what are the hallmarks of this Liverpool in the different phases of the game:
1. Offensive Structure: Control and Positional Play
Slot has opted for structures that allow the team to maintain the ball in advanced areas and generate constant passing options:
- Base Formation (4-2-3-1/4-3-3): Slot has continued with the 4-3-3 formation in many games, although he alternates with a 4-2-3-1 depending on the opponent’s pressing. This system provides the team with flexibility in attack and helps maintain a defensive transition balance. It’s a formation that perfectly suits the players available.
- Organized Build-Up: Build up from the back is essential in Slot’s game construction. Van Dijk and Konaté spread wide to receive the ball, while the midfielder and an inside midfielder player dropped back to receive and distribute, using the fullbacks close and closed. This has allowed Liverpool to advance fluidly while maintaining possession.
- Inside Fullbacks: Trent Alexander-Arnold continues to play a similar role to the one he had under Klopp, taking up inside positions in midfield during the offensive phase, sometimes acting as a creative midfielder. This adaptation allows Alexander-Arnold to connect with the winger at close range or deliver crosses into the box. He is one of the three most used players by Slot, alongside Van Dijk and Salah.
- Offensive Mobility and second line runs: Liverpool has prominent attacking players like Salah, Luis Díaz, Gakpo, and Darwin Núñez, among others. Within a set structure, mobility in the finishing zone is key to creating numerous scoring opportunities. Additionally, midfielders also enter the box with runs, adding to the team’s goals and chances.
2. Transitions: Smart Verticality
One of the most interesting aspects of Slot’s approach is how he has transformed Liverpool’s offensive transitions:
- Defense-to-Attack Transitions: When Liverpool regains possession, the team looks to advance quickly, but Slot has introduced a more structured approach. Instead of immediately sending long passes, the team uses short, supportive passes, aiming to maintain possession and advance as a unit. This has allowed Liverpool to control the game’s pace better and approach the box with more players ready to finish.
3. Defensive Structure: High Press and Mid-Block
Unlike Klopp’s classic gegenpressing, Slot’s defensive approach is a more organized high press, less energy-draining over the course of the game:
- Coordinated Pressing: Liverpool’s press under Slot is more measured and controlled. Forwards initiate the press, but not frantically; instead, they close passing lanes and channel the play toward the flanks, where the midfield and fullbacks can trap the opponent. Salah and Díaz participate in this intelligent press, looking to force errors and prevent easy exits for the opposition.
- High-Mid Block: When Liverpool isn’t pressing high, Slot prefers a high-mid block, allowing the team to stay compact and reduce spaces between lines.
- Compact Block and Quick drop back: If the initial press isn’t effective, the team quickly drops back to fill defensive spaces. Liverpool has managed to avoid being vulnerable in high-press situations, currently having the best defensive record in the Premier League with only 6 goals conceded in 10 matches.
4. Intentionality: Tempo Control and Adaptability
Slot has worked to ensure that Liverpool is not only a team that presses and runs but also one that can control the tempo and adapt to different game situations:
- Possession as a Control Tool: Liverpool has increased its average possession this season. This has resulted in a team that, while still looking to score, is more patient in its build-up play. This pacing also allows them to reach the box with more players.
- Adaptability to the Opponent: Slot’s Liverpool is more versatile. Against strong teams, the team is more compact and pragmatic, avoiding risky plays in dangerous zones. Against weaker teams, Slot allows for a higher press and possession-heavy play, pinning the opponent back in their own half.
Conclusion
Under Arne Slot’s guidance, Liverpool has evolved into a more structured and tactically ordered team. Intensity remains a fundamental part of the club’s style, and they are still one of the most vertically-oriented teams, but they are also showcasing new qualities such as controlled possession and a positional approach that helps them keep the ball in advanced areas. The defense is more compact and organized, pressing less aggressively high up but displaying more solidity in the box.
With these numbers at the start of the season, it seems Liverpool is set to achieve great things and compete for all the titles, aiming to reign in both the Champions League and the Premier League. We will see how Arne Slot’s team continues to improve.
