Liverpool’s Title Rivalry: The Impact of Arne Slot, Diogo Jota, and the Strong Back Four

It is easy to forget just how the Premier League table looked with eight games to play last season. Liverpool top of the tree, still in Europe and with a Carabao Cup trophy already in the bag, it felt like Jurgen Klopp was on track for a fairytale ending at Anfield.

It was not to be. They drew 2-2 at Old Trafford to Manchester United, who also knocked them out of the FA Cup, and it all started to unravel. That sparked a run of just four wins in the last 10 games across competitions as Manchester City ultimately charged nine points clear of the Reds in third.

But although the Reds did not have the staying power required to win the title, they were genuine challengers right until the last knockings. After eight games of this campaign, they lead the way again in what feels like deja-vu.

They spent 87 days at the summit last term, more than any team, only to fall away when it mattered. So are they contenders this year or mere pretenders?

Mail Sport assesses the key questions that haunted them last season and looks if they can learn from their mistakes…

The season is evolving to be the same as last term under Jurgen Klopp, when the Reds spent longer at the top of the table than anyone else

Mail Sport looks as whether the Reds can be serious contenders after their impressive start

Do they have the squad depth required?

With all of these questions, it is needed to refer to problems that cropped up last season and assess whether Liverpool have made attempts to put them right. One of the issues that prevented them winning the title last term was injuries at key moments.

According to trusted site Premier Injuries, 21 Liverpool players suffered blows – topped only by Tottenham on 22 – and the Reds had 35 separate injuries. Star player Mohamed Salah was not fully fit in the second half of the season and many other main men were absent for long periods.

A blessing in disguise of this was the breakthrough of several talented youngsters, like Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley, but the Reds’ injury crises were clearly an issue as they surrendered the title with defeats by Crystal Palace and Everton in April.

One of the many reasons Liverpool hired Slot, though, was his tried-and-trusted methods of injury prevention at former team Feyenoord. For three seasons, the Rotterdam club’s player availability levels were above 90 per cent, which helped as they won the title in 2022-23.

Key to this is what Slot calls ‘the team behind the team’, led by head of performance Ruben Peeters. The 32-year-old has a Masters degree in sport science from Leuven, a Belgian university, and is a specialist in what clever kids call ‘periodisation’.

This sees Peeters know exactly how strenuous activity must be on a certain day and how hard to push each player without causing their bodies to have negative reactions due to overworking. He hands Slot briefings on this so he knows just how long a training session should last.

It certainly reduces the element of misfortune in the injury room, though no one can legislate against luck in this regard – just look at Manchester City’s Ballon d’Or contender Rodri, a man with a peak physique now out for the season.

Slot believes in the team behind the team, led by head of performance Ruben Peeters (centre)

For three seasons under Slot, Feyenoord’s player availability levels were above 90 per cent

Liverpool do, though, have two quality players for each position. They were steadfast in rejecting bids for No 2 goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who the club believe is the best substitute stopper in the league, and have been vindicated now Alisson is out for around six weeks.

When Diogo Jota got a knock on Sunday, £85million man Darwin Nunez stepped up with a stellar performance. With Alexis Mac Allister not 100 per cent, new father Curtis Jones started and put in a man-of-the-match display.

The list of top-class back-ups can go on, with sources citing competition for places as a key reason for several players solving inconsistency issues. Fans slammed a below-par transfer window but Federico Chiesa at £10m means they now have six star forwards.

One forced reservation would be that the back-up options are not as quality-laden as those at City. With three of their best four players absent – Rodri, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne – the champions are still grinding out results, even if performances have left a bit to be desired…

Is their steely defence a fluke?

Only time will tell if the best defence in the league is here to stay or not, with Liverpool having an easier fixture run than any other team in the division so far. But with just three goals conceded in eight league matches, they are proving a stubborn outfit to break down.

Their 0.38 goals conceded per game trumps even Chelsea’s record from 2004-05, when they conceded just 15 times at a rate of 0.39 per 90 minutes. More importantly for them, though, is when comparing that statistic to the 1.08 goals against per game last season.

Liverpool are also conceding fewer shots and the expected goals (xG) tally is much reduced from last season. Slot thinks a big reason for their steely rearguard is because of what they do on the ball, though.

Instead of being in a rush to charge forward – which could leave them open to the counter-attack – Liverpool are now much more patient and look to ‘kill the opposition with passes,’ as Ryan Gravenberch put it in an interview last week.

Captain Virgil van Dijk looks in the form of his life at 33. Tying him down to a new deal is crucial for the mid-term success of the club – and they are in open negotiations with the Dutchman, though the two parties are yet to reach an agreement.

Liverpool have the best defence in the Premier League so far, conceding three goals with Virgil van Dijk in the form of his life

Can they sort out their form against fellow ‘Big Six’ clubs?

Last season, Liverpool won just two of 10 matches against fellow ‘Big Six’ opponents and were fourth in a mini-league between these sides. That saw Arsenal take 10 more points from the traditional title rivals than Klopp’s men, clearly an issue.

To be the best, you have got to beat the best. Liverpool and Slot know they must fix this if they are to triumph in the new head coach’s first campaign. The early signs are promising, with a 3-0 win at United and a 2-1 win on Sunday against Chelsea.

Slot has asked fans and pundits to judge his team after the next run of games, which sees them travel to Arsenal this weekend before hosting City on December 1. They also play high-flying Aston Villa and Brighton in the next month – not to mention some tricky European ties.

One complaint last year from Klopp was the lack of atmosphere at Anfield, which is an ongoing debate among the fanbase. It certainly has not been as good as it can be – though it was on Sunday – and they will need the crowd when playing these big teams at home.

The Reds need to improve their form against fellow ‘Big Six’ clubs, but have already beaten two this season

Is it too early for Slot to trump Guardiola and Arteta?

If the good start has shown one thing above all, it is that Slot is comfortable standing in the shadow of his predecessor, Klopp. If any fans feared a drop-off akin to when Sir Alex Ferguson left United, they were wrong.

From talking to players and those close to them, it is clear that everyone in the squad is motivated to ensure this is not the case. Although they might not have known it, the new faces in the coaching department might have helped everyone after several intense years of Klopp.

One thing Slot lacks that rivals Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta do have is experience of these intense, rollercoaster title tussles. Saying that, his meticulous attention to detail is proving a big factor in Liverpool’s early-season successes.

The 46-year-old boss hosts daily meetings with his players – Conor Bradley described it as like ‘going back to school’ – with Slot’s assistant coaches also conducting sessions rich in video analysis and an emphasis on finding things to improve.

Even if a player puts in a nine out of 10 performance, they will be guided on how to make it better. Stars like Gravenberch, Ibrahima Konate and Luis Diaz – who have all suffered from consistency issues in the past – are benefitting from the extra coaching.

Slot lacks the experience of close title races, which the likes of Pep Guardiola (pictured) and Mikel Arteta have

Arteta is expected to challenge for the Premier League title for the third year in a row with Arsenal

Who will dire them to the title?

As mentioned earlier, the lack of a fully-fit Salah was costly for Liverpool in the second half of last season. The Egyptian suffered an injury when on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations and played just seven 90 minutes of the 21 games after the turn of the year.

That saw him score just four goals after New Year’s Day compared to 14 before that and it felt like the Reds missed their talisman. Now after skipping the Olympics in the summer, Salah looks as sharp as he has done for several years.

If they are to win the title, they need Salah to remain at peak fitness for most of the season – which will probably take resting him in some cup competitions against his best wishes. With five goals and five assists in eight league games under Slot, he is showing no signs of ageing.

Having Mohamed Salah fit and firing will be vital for any Premier League title charge

But the 32-year-old will need help from colleagues chipping in with goals, as the likes of Luis Diaz, Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Jota either did not score enough or keep fit for long enough last term. The early signs are promising, though, especially from Jota and Diaz.

All three of City, Arsenal and Liverpool are sharing the goals around well so far this season – with big goals from the likes of John Stones, Gabriel and Ibrahima Konate springing to mind – but the Reds will need help from all over the pitch if Salah is to have an off day.