The Arne Slot era at Liverpool has been a case of ‘evolution’, not ‘revolution’, as the soon-to-be Premier League-winning boss builds upon Jurgen Klopp’s foundations rather than tearing them up.
A few subtle tweaks here and there.
A slower, more controlled build-up. The wingers playing a little bit closer to the goal. The usage of Alexis Mac Allister as a deep-lying playmaker, in contrast to his more rough-and-tumble predecessors such as Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Wataru Endo.
Arne Slot has moved away from the Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield experiment Jurgen Klopp trialled towards the end of his Anfield tenure.
Virgil van Dijk appears to have benefitted from Slot’s appointment, too. Not that the Dutchman wasn’t pretty imperious before, of course. But there is a feeling that Van Dijk has actually improved with the ball-playing side of his game, tasked with firing fewer crossfield diagonals and more punching, line-breaking balls into the midfield.
As for Cody Gakpo, a forward Slot knew well from his time in the Feyenoord dugout has already equalled last season’s tally of 16 goals in nine fewer appearances.
Cody Gakpo explains Arne Slot change which boosted his Liverpool career
While Jurgen Klopp fielded Gakpo all over the pitch – on either flank and even in midfield at times – Slot quickly restored the former PSV star to his favoured role wide on the left-hand side. The position where he made his name in the Eredivisie, and from which he earned that £35 million switch to Liverpool in the first place.
Gakpo has started 36 games this term as a left-winger compared to only 12 last season.
And it is no coincidence that this has resulted in a far greater goals-per-minute ratio from a man who is now just four away from hitting 20.
“I think it’s been a good season for everybody in the team actually,” Gakpo tells the official Liverpool website ahead of Sunday’s potential coronation against Tottenham Hotspur.
“Myself, I also developed a lot. Like we discussed a few times already, I changed position slightly, got some goals. Unfortunately got injured as well, which took a bit off.
“I think overall it’s a good season but it’s not finished yet, hopefully we can end on a big high all together.”
Gakpo can’t wait to be crowned a Premier League champion
As the Saudi Arabia-linked Luis Diaz faces an uncertain future at Liverpool, the chances are that Gakpo will nail down the left-wing role for good in the coming months. For now, however, all he is thinking about is securing a maiden Premier League title.
Liverpool host a Heung-Min Son-deprived Tottenham, as Gary Neville predicts a ‘barbaric’ 4-1 win to get the party started.
“This is the moment we all worked so hard for the whole year,” Gakpo beams. “Obviously we lost the [Carabao Cup] final, we were out of the FA Cup, we got knocked out of the Champions League as well. They were moments where we were maybe not as good as we wanted to be.
“But if we can win it at the weekend, it’s an amazing season for all of us and something we can really build on in the future.
“When you start football and you get knowledge about the leagues in Europe, I think everybody can agree that the Premier League is one of if not the best league in Europe and the world.
“To become hopefully a Premier League winner is every footballer’s dream at some point in life. That would be an amazing achievement.”
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