Liverpool were back in their natural habitat, dominating play and winning convincingly, yet Anfield felt unusual. Maybe it was the sight of supporters applying sun cream while basking in temperatures more familiar to Sevilla than Merseyside, but more likely it was the calmness that radiated from the home technical area towards the team. The adaptation to the Arne Slot era is under way.
After almost nine years of manic energy and wild gesticulation on the Anfield sidelines there was calmness in the place where Jürgen Klopp once stood. His successor was a model of composure by comparison. Premier League match officials will be overjoyed at the news. Slot’s most theatrical move was to remove hands from pockets to direct another tactical instruction. They are clearly filtering through.
