Rather than exclusively revel in a convincing Champions League victory at the difficult surroundings of Marseille’s Vélodrome, Arne Slot dragged everyone back to his belief that Liverpool had played well against Burnley last weekend.
The Reds drew 1–1 at home to the Clarets before romping to a 3–0 victory in the south of France on Wednesday evening in a crucial European tie. Slot and his players were booed by the Anfield crowd in the aftermath of another disappointing result against promoted opposition and the Dutch boss did not take kindly to suggestions that some fans are questioning his judgement.
The midweek win over Roberto De Zerbi’s highly respected outfit should have proven Slot’s point, but he couldn’t help but harp back to the stalemate on Merseyside four days earlier.
“Against Burnley we created three or four times more than we did tonight but tonight we scored three,” the Liverpool boss argued. “Everyone can disagree with me but we played a very good game against Burnley and another good game tonight, but the tactics were different.”
Liverpool’s Game Stats
| Statistic | Liverpool vs. Marseille | Liverpool vs. Burnley |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 3 | 1 |
| Possession | 42% | 73% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 1.46 | 3.18 |
| Total Shots | 11 | 32 |
| Shots on Target | 3 | 11 |
| Big Chances | 3 | 3 |
| Touches in Opp. Box | 29 | 78 |
Stats via FotMob.
Slot’s assertion that Liverpool created three times as many chances is borne out by the shot count. However, in both Marseille and Merseyside the Reds created the same number of Opta-defined “Big Chances,” i.e. sights of goal which the average player would be reasonably expected to score.
Burnley’s low block limited Liverpool to few shots which weren’t met with a meaty mass of flesh, while Marseille’s willingness to play out from the back and commit themselves played into the hands of the Premier League champions.
“We played badly, we conceded a stupid goal, the first,” De Zerbi moaned. “The first period was played on equal terms, or more or less ... In the second half, the match opened up a little and, when you give Liverpool players space, it’s obvious that you’re going to suffer.”
Slot also pointed out that Liverpool enjoyed a small slice of luck which has often been lacking. “On the ball we were controlled but what made the difference this time was that after we had a big chance and hit the post, they had a big chance and put it over,” he pointed out. “Usually this season that goes in. But we were able to make it 2–0, 3–0 and so that makes the perception of the game completely different.”
Slot Singles Out Unheralded Liverpool Star
Slot was quick to laud Mohamed Salah’s “professionalism” after the 33-year-old completed the full 90 minutes with just one training session under his belt following a late return from the Africa Cup of Nations. Yet, it was the less heralded figure of Joe Gomez who got a special shoutout.
“I saw a lot of good individual performances tonight but I would like to single out Joe Gomez,” Slot smiled. “He has suffered a lot with injuries in the last few years and I haven’t picked him sometimes when he has been fit. Tonight he was outstanding and so important to us winning 3–0.”
Gomez lined up alongside Virgil van Dijk in a rare outing at centre back to cover for Ibrahima Konaté, who was given special dispensation to miss the fixture “because of family matters,” as revealed by the club.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Everyone Can Disagree’—Arne Slot Doubles Down on Contrarian Liverpool Stance.
