The ECHO’s fan jury has their say ahead of Liverpool’s huge Premier League clash with Arsenal at the Emirates
Liverpool continued their fine start to the season under new head coach Arne Slot with a 1-0 victory over RB Leizpig in Germany. The Reds made it three wins in three Champions League games as they kept it tight against the Bundesliga outfit.
The win follows a 2-1 home victory over Chelsea in the Premier League to keep Slot’s side top of the table as they complete a testing week with a trip to Arsenal. Recent slip ups by Mikel Arteta’s men means the Reds going into the game with the chance to take a seven point lead over the Gunners.
Here’s what the ECHO’s fan jury makes of the big match at the Emirates:
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Andrew Cullen (Widnes, @brothersred5) – Tests passed but Arsenal a different proposition
It was a disjointed performance by Liverpool against RB Leipzig midweek. Liverpool lacked potency and poise at times in the game, but it was nonetheless an impressive win against a talented team. Whilst Leipzig had bursts of good play, their performance never really got off the ground.
The media chorus before the Chelsea game was that Liverpool had not yet faced a stern test and more formidable opponents lay ahead. There was some merit to this view; though, are there now any easy games in the Premier League? Were the games against Bologna and AC Milan easy European ties?
It also shouldn’t be forgotten that in recent times the so-called lower-level opposition teams have been Liverpool’s Achilles heel, and defeats to those teams in previous years have dented our title aspirations.
Liverpool passed their first ‘real’ test against Chelsea, but Liverpool’s title metal will again be tested at the Emirates, which will be a crucible. Arsenal will be title contenders this year, and if Liverpool can secure a win at the weekend in this gladiatorial combat, eyebrows will start to raise. It feels like we may have caught Arsenal at a good time, given their noticeable absentees.
The Klopp Liverpool would travel to Arsenal ready to throw Haymakers from the start, but Slot’s Liverpool are likely to come out slipping, rolling, and jabbing. Slot seems to prefer a more soothing symphony of play, rather than the crash and bang of heavy metal play, and this shift in style has provided some early dividends, most notably in our defensive shape.
We have been quick out the slips this season, and we will see whether the early bang to Slot’s tenure ends with a whimper. For now, the signs are positive and Liverpool are flying. As we head into a daunting stretch of tricky hurdles, we need to stay close to the emerging pack.
Rhys Buchanan (Aigburth, @Rhys_Buchanan) – Nunez and Kelleher will benefit
I thought our performance against RB Leipzig on Wednesday night was pretty much the epitome of the Slot era so far. It was all about professionalism and simply getting the task at hand done.
While we certainly looked threatening in front of goal, it felt like there was always another gear we could have used if required. I think lots of players will have gained a boost from the victory in a hostile atmosphere going into the weekend.
Perhaps most notably Kelleher who pulled off some wonderful saves and Nunez who made his way onto the scoresheet with an instinctive finish. With three wins out of three in Europe and sitting top of the table going into the weekend, confidence has every reason to be sky high. What a time for Slot’s Reds.
James Noble (Worcestershire, @james_noble98) – Three players decisive for Arsenal
Sunday’s trip to Arsenal is another big game at the end of a big, and thus far highly productive, week for Liverpool. It remains early in the season, of course, but the chance to go seven points ahead of the Gunners is an element of this fixture that somewhat leaps off the page.
The North Londoners may be injury hit and without the suspended William Saliba, but this is still a match that can justifiably be viewed as the toughest of said week. We need only look at the consistent levels, over the last two years or so, of Mikel Arteta’s side, who often resemble a Swiss Army knife. They’ll happily make a match a fight while keeping the ballet shoes on.
Happily, Arne Slot’s side continue to demonstrate plenty of their own flexibility and durability. That has been on show for much of 2024/25, and particularly within the wins over Chelsea and Leipzig. The strength of the squad has been evident, as has the ability to adapt to various situations.
Darwin Nunez’s dynamism, Ryan Gravenberch’s press resistance and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ability to dismantle a press can be decisive factors within a game that can be approached with confidence.
