As the pressure lifted inside Anfield and Liverpool entered stoppage time of their first Premier League win since 20 September, the Kop broke into a rousing chorus of Arne Slot’s name. But it’s easy to stand by your man when victory is in sight. A more significant rendition came at nil-nil, when the pressure was still firmly on and Dominik Szoboszlai had just squandered a glorious chance to punish the kind of lackadaisical defending that would ultimately prove Aston Villa’s downfall. Support for Slot was unequivocal when it mattered most.
Liverpool, the Premier League’s crisis club before kick-off after six defeats in seven games, sit third in the table after starting an important week with a deserved win against Villa. A first clean sheet in 11 games reflected a more controlled performance from the Premier League champions and, as Slot admitted, a change in fortune. Unai Emery’s team struck the woodwork twice when the game was delicately poised but would prove the perfect guests for a team and head coach in need of recovery.
