Liverpool told they have been doing something under Arne Slot which is just like Man City at their best

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Liverpool ended 2024 in the best possible fashion on Sunday as they put five past West Ham.

The Reds have not always found travelling to the London Stadium easy, but they certainly did this time.

It was the latest in a string of terrific away performances under Arne Slot, with Liverpool still unbeaten in nine Premier League away days with the Dutchman in charge.

Away from the goals, perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the performance was the fact that Liverpool were able to keep a clean sheet.

The Reds had gone four games in all competitions without a shut-out, something Slot and the Liverpool squad would have been keen to put right.

A hamstring injury for Joe Gomez threatened to make things difficult for the Reds on the night, but they came away with their clean sheet intact. And according to former Man United goalkeeper Tim Howard, the way they did it showed shades of Man City at their very best.

Liverpool likened to prime Man City

Despite their dominance, it was not a given that Liverpool would keep a clean sheet at the London Stadium.

The Hammers managed to rattle the woodwork on three separate ocassions.

But despite those efforts, Alisson did not have anything to save. West Ham didn’t have a single shot on target throughout the 90 minutes. This accumulated an xG of only 0.36.

And speaking to NBC Sports after the game, Howard says that Liverpool’s ability to prevent the opposition from having any kind of clearcut chances is reminiscent of Man City.

READ MORE: Arne Slot gives verdict on Jarell Quansah’s display for Liverpool at West Ham

“Whether they keep clean sheets or not they don’t give teams good opportunities,” says Howard. “When you talk about Manchester City I remember thinking, is Ederson a good goalkeeper? I’m not really sure because they put him in really good areas, they don’t allow teams really good opportunities, he has to make one or two saves. That’s what this Liverpool team is.

“We can talk about their attack for weeks and weeks and weeks on end but defensively they just don’t give you much of anything.”

Reds built on solid foundations

Having conceded a spate of goals over recent weeks, Liverpool can no longer boast the best defence in the Premier League.

That title currently sits with Arsenal, who have let in 16 goals compared to Liverpool’s 17.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	18	14	3	1	45	17	28	45
2	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	19	11	4	4	26	19	7	37
3	ArsenalArsenal	18	10	6	2	35	16	19	36
4	ChelseaChelsea	18	10	5	3	38	21	17	35

However, with the Reds having scored 45 to the Gunners 35, it’s clear that Slot’s team have the better balance of the two.

With Alisson in net, Liverpool will always have a chance even if they do start giving up better chances to opposition sides.

But at the moment, they are managing to keep teams at arms lengths while also running riot at the other end. It’s a nice mixture to have, as City have found out over the past decade.