The Arne Slott era has begun, but what does the Dutchman need to do for Liverpool this season if he is to have a shot at winning the Premier League in his debut season?
Jurgen Klopp ended his eight-year managerial career with a trophy and qualification for the Champions League.
Here’s how Slott can build on that foundation and capitalize on his predecessor’s legacy.
They started well and have maintained the same level as Manchester City and Arsenal ever since.
Liverpool were on the brink of winning the title up until April last season, and while their momentum eventually faded, there’s no doubt that Klopp has led the club to good form. Slott takes over Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0 on solid footing, with a third-place finish and Carabao Cup win showing the quality of the young talent emerging at the club and could be a springboard for things to come.
But there’s no getting away from the fact that Slott will be playing against two very strong opponents in Arsenal and Manchester City. PSV had a near perfect season in the Eredivisie, taking the lead from Slott’s Feyenoord, but in the Premier League it will be a standard that Slott will have to get used to.
There is very little room for error in the English top flight these days and Slott will need to maintain his good form from the start of next season if he is to lead Liverpool back into the title race.
The match computer is favored: Liverpool will be heavy favourites to win six of their first seven games. A trip to Manchester United on September 1 will provide an interesting test early in the season, but by the time Liverpool face Chelsea and Arsenal in succession in late October, Slott should be on a roll and have a lot of points on their hands already.
Gaining an advantage in key head-to-head matches
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Slott revealed how he received “advice” from Jurgen Klopp ahead of his first season in charge of the club.
Liverpool were unbeaten against holders Manchester City last season and held Arsenal to just one point at Anfield, but wins over the top two teams could be a deciding factor in their final position.
City’s relentless attacking form in the second half of the season made up for their loss to Arsenal, but the psychological boost that such a big win will provide Liverpool will be invaluable.
The last time they beat Arsenal in the league was in March 2022. The last time they took maximum points from City was in October 2022.
The matchday 9 game against Arsenal will be a big test for Slott, but also a big opportunity – a chance to motivate his players, trust his management and produce a result that will leave their title rivals in doubt.
Securing the future of key players
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Speaking on the Transfer Talk podcast, Sam Taig suggested that Liverpool fans might be prepared to entertain an offer for Mohamed Salah this summer, given the midfielder’s age and contract situation.
Liverpool’s chances of reaching the level of City and Arsenal would be strengthened if Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold return to their best form, but all of Liverpool’s superstars who have played key roles under Klopp are out of contract next summer.
It may be up to chief football executive Michael Edwards and new sporting director Richard Hughes to work out the details of any deal, but Slott’s main priority will be figuring out the futures of three key players in Liverpool’s squad.
Losing any of those three may be unthinkable for Liverpool fans, but it’s a matter Slott should have a say in.
At 32, Salah could once again be attracting a big bid from Saudi Arabia, and after a recent slump in form, is now the time to land the Egyptian?
Van Dijk turns 33 this summer and, after Holland’s elimination from the Euros, the Liverpool captain said he would “think carefully” about his future with club and country. What would a contract renewal look like for him?
Ultimately, Slott’s main role will be to convince these stars that with him in charge, the future is bright and it’s worth the journey – even if, in the case of Salah and Van Dijk, the terms may be less than what they are currently on.
Solving the hitting problem
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Liverpool’s best goals scored in the 2023/24 Premier League season
Perhaps the biggest adjustment Slott can make to Liverpool is at the back, where their finishing hindered them badly last season.
Darwin Nunez is always the scapegoat for this issue, but there’s no denying the fact that he had the poorest big-chance conversion rate among forwards with at least 10 clear-cut chances last season, missing 27 of his 33 big chances.
How will the slot benefit from Liverpool’s £85 million investment?
But Liverpool have wider finishing issues, with Salah (sixth) and Luis Diaz (12th) also ranking highly for big chances missed last season.
Liverpool had the highest expected goals (xG) rating in the Premier League last season but underperformed, receiving 86 points instead of the predicted 89.3.
In contrast, Arsenal and Manchester City scored 14 more goals than their xG numbers would suggest they should have, and their attacking prowess made a huge difference.
Signing a top-class defensive midfielder
Liverpool may consider adding another defensive midfielder to their squad to support Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister.
Liverpool are yet to sign any players since Slott’s arrival and while there have already been discussions about ways they can improve with their current squad, defensive midfield appears to be an area that needs to be addressed in the transfer market.
Endo Wataru and Alexis Mac Allister shared the holding role last season but Slott has frequently used a double pivot in that area of the pitch and reinforcements are needed as there are doubts about whether Endo can be Liverpool’s long-term solution.
That would allow Mac Allister to operate in a No.10 role similar to the one he played at Brighton, but it might also provide Liverpool with more security in defence – after all, they were defeated 1-0 in 23 games last season.
Inspiring Liverpool fans
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Check out the best footage from Liverpool manager Slott’s first press conference
Perhaps Slott’s most important, and most intangible, task will be to inspire Liverpool fans in the same way that Klopp did.
Slott can’t emulate Klopp and no one expects him to – the German’s relationship was special and unique – but in this transitional period, Slott will need to convince supporters that the path he is taking the club on is the right one to deliver success.
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Incredible scenes unfolded at Anfield as manager Jurgen Klopp led the Liverpool fans in singing a chant for his soon-to-be successor, Arne Sloot.
There will undoubtedly be obstacles along the way, and Slott and the players will have the support of Liverpool fans, and the famous Anfield atmosphere, to get where they want to be.
Top signings, big-name contract extensions and a hot start to the season with plenty of goals to boot will give fans the confidence that Liverpool can surge forward under Slott and challenge for top honours, and will have them singing his name as Klopp has pleaded for them to do so.
What are the key dates for the 2024/25 season?
The 2024/25 Premier League season will Friday, August 16 And in conclusion Sunday, May 25 2025.
The campaign will run across 33 weekends, four midweek rounds and one bank holiday matchweek.
of Community Shield It will be held on Saturday, August 10th, FA Cup The final will be held on Saturday 17 May, the weekend before the final day of the Premier League season.
of Champions League Final It will be held on Saturday, May 31st. Europa League The final will be held in Bilbao on Wednesday 21 May. UEFA Conference League The final will take place one week later on Wednesday, May 28th.
Live Premier League coverage on Sky Sports in 2024/25
Sky Sports The 2024/25 season will see 128 exclusive live matches, New agreement between Sky Sports and the Premier League This means that from 2025/26 there will be many more live matches.
From 2025 Sky Sports After signing the new four-year deal, the club will broadcast a record minimum of 215 Premier League matches per season.
You can watch Premier League match highlights for free throughout the 2024/25 season. Sky Sports Subscriber.
Watch Premier League match highlights It will also be available on the ScoreCentre, Sky Sports website and the Sky Sports app immediately after the match.or 5:15 p.m. for Saturday’s noon kickoff. Sky Sports Soccer YouTube channel.
Watch Sky Sports live with no contract with our monthly or daily memberships. Discover more now Get instant access to live action from the Premier League, EFL, F1, England Cricket and more.
Sky Sports+ – Even more sports coming in August!
Sky Sports+ Live streams and new dedicated channels provide sports fans with more options at no extra cost.
It will be released this August Sky Sports+ The amount of options sports fans have access to through live streams will increase dramatically. Sky TVstreaming services now And improved Sky Sports App On mobile.
With better than ever coverage of the EFL, Tennis Tour and Men’s Super League, Sky Sports customers will be able to enjoy over 50% more live sport this year.
