Liverpool is at the top of the Premier League table with 18 points from seven matches. Although each of Manchester City and Arsenal trail the Reds by only a point, Arne Slot’s men look quite capable of giving the latter two a run for their money in the title-race.
Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 1-0 last Saturday to earn three points. Diogo Jota scored the only goal of the match. In their Premier League campaign so far, the Reds’ superb defence has stood out.
Liverpool Defensive Record Impressive Thus Far
It is quite a wonderful record. Slot’s men have let in only two goals in their seven matches so far, while no other team has conceded fewer than five. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté have done really well in the heart of Liverpool’s defence amid all the hype surrounding Arsenal’s Gabriel and William Saliba. The 33-year-old Van Dijk is into his eighth season at Liverpool and has played 279 matches for the club already.
Credit should also be given to Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch as well for shielding the defence quite adroitly. Gravenberch has been a revelation this season, aiding both the defence and the attack. Mac Allister’s poise and calmness on the ball have also played to Liverpool’s advantage.
Manchester City, depleted by Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne’s absence has let in eight goals so far and Arsenal is not far behind, with six goals being scored against them. Tottenham Hotspur, bolstered by its centre-back pairing of Christian Romero and Micky van de Ven, has conceded five goals so far, which is the second-lowest tally in the league.
A shock 0-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest notwithstanding, the Reds have had an almost perfect first one and a half month in the ongoing season. They have registered a thumping win in the UEFA Champions League, too, with Mohamed Salah being in imperious form.
Liverpool Has Tough Matches in October
Liverpool will next take on Chelsea after the international break and then will face Arsenal in another pivotal clash. It will also take on RB Leipzig in the Champions League this month itself, thus making it a very important one for it.
In order to continue its good run in the upcoming matches, the Reds will have to maintain their good defensive record. Chelsea has been scoring heaps of goals of late and keeping a clean sheet against it is going to be a challenging task.
The same goes for Arsenal, which will try to beat Liverpool to get to the top of the league table. A visit to the Emirates Stadium is not something most teams cherish and Slot’s men should be happy to come out with a point from that match.
Slot has done a commendable job so far, winning nine of the 10 matches across all competitions this season. It is up to his team to capitalize on the good start to the season. It remains to be seen whether his men are able to do that. His defenders will have to be on the top of their game to spur the team on.