It’s time a new dawn on Saturday, as Arne Slot takes charge of a competitive Liverpool match for the first time ever.
Slot has had an excellent pre-season after replacing Jurgen Klopp at Anfield but the real stuff starts on Saturday with a tricky looking trip to Ipswich. Here’s how we think the Reds will line up.
Defence
Caoimhin Kelleher has been Slot’s goalkeeper for most of pre-season. However, with Alisson Becker returning to his position as first choice on Sunday, we expect the Brazilian will be back again at Portman Road.
As with Kelleher and Alisson, the new head coach has a bit of a decision to make at right-back. Conor Bradley has played more football, but Trent Alexander-Arnold looked good against Sevilla.
Slot could also pick Alexander-Arnold in midfield and still keep Bradley in the team. But we think Sunday’s team choice will ultimately prove telling, with Trent slotting in as usual at right-back.
Centre-back will be interesting to see, with only Virgil van Dijk a nailed on starter. After a really good pre-season, we expect to see Jarell Quansah next to the captain.
Some may disagree, but we feel that Saturday may come too soon for Andy Robertson to start. As a result, £12m man Kostas Tsimikas should get the chance to continue.
Midfield
Who starts in midfield is perhaps the most intriguing part of Saturday’s team. Slot obviously identified the position as the one area of the Liverpool squad that most urgently needed upgrading.
Having failed to do that so far, the Dutchman is going to have to go with what he has against Ipswich. Again, Sunday can be instructive and Ryan Gravenberch played really well against Sevilla. He should go again.
READ MORE: Ryan Gravenberch set to benefit from Martin Zubimendi rejecting Liverpool
In the other deepest-lying position, we think Slot will go for Curtis Jones. Alexis Mac Allister looked rusty against Sevilla and may need a little more time to get up top speed.
Dominik Szoboszlai should complete the trio as the furthest forward of the midfielders.
Attack
Slot does have a decision to make in attack, with the main decision being to go for either Cody Gakpo or Luis Diaz.
Slot has told Gakpo that he’ll be a left winger for Liverpool this season, but Diaz did bag two after being given the nod at the weekend.
Slot has praised Diaz’s quality in training ahead of the game and we think the Colombian wins this one.
In the middle of the three we’d expected to see Diogo Jota, although Darwin Nunez may be better suited to facing Ipswich.
On the right will be the evergreen Mohamed Salah, back and aiming to score on opening day for a record seventh time.
Liverpool’s predicted XI vs Ipswich Town: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Jota, Diaz
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
