Slot's side continued their perfect start to the season | Credit:
IMAGO / Propaganda Photo
Liverpool's 100% record this season extended to five games in the Premier League, thanks to a 2-1 win against Everton at Anfield. Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike were on target for the Reds in the first half. Everton pulled one back in the second period through Idrisse Gueye, but the hosts hung on and pocketed the three points.
While Liverpool had a great showing of themselves in the first half, they lacked the same sharpness in the second half, allowing Everton to breathe life into the game. In the post-match press conference, Arne Slot put the second half performance down to fatigue. He said:
"Again, we needed mentality today in a different fashion than before. We always knew how difficult this game would be, even with proper preparation time. But if you play your third game in less than seven days against your rivals, then the second half could be very tough. That’s why I made my lineups throughout the week the way I did, for the players to be ready for this one, because this was the most intense of the three. We knew this before, and you could see how well we can play if we are fresh in the first 45 minutes."
Asked about the depth in his squad, Slot mentioned that it is necessary considering Liverpool's rigorous schedule.
"That’s also the reason why teams like us, Chelsea, and others playing in Europe need a squad like this, because you have to play so many games. It’s not an excuse—we have to accept it as it is. We’ve had issues with Alexander (Isak) not training for four months, Mac Allister missing a lot, and I could go on, but the good thing is I do have the options to rotate throughout the week."
Slot also touched upon his first impressions of new signing Hugo Ekitike, and how the competition will shape up between him and Alexander Isak.
"Of course impressed, but to the extent that we knew what we brought in. Like any other team in this league, every team has two number nines—you saw that at Everton today as well. We have two number nines of excellent quality, like our competitors. That’s important because Hugo, coming from a different league, isn’t ready to play three full games in a week the way we play, with our high-intensity style. We constantly press, and even when the ball is out of play, our goalkeeper tries to restart quickly instead of taking a minute. It’s a high-paced game we play. Alex, as we all know, only trained two weeks with the team after being out for four months. So having two number nines is absolutely necessary, and every top Premier League team has them—we do as well."
Ryan Gravenberch, who failed to register a Premier League goal last season, already has two this season. After a great performance in the derby by former Bayern Munich man, Slot was asked what is making his compatriot click this season:
"I think this is the evolution of a team. You constantly try to do different things, keep what’s really good, but other teams adjust to us as well, so we need to constantly evolve. Apart from that, we have different players now than last season, so sometimes you adjust a little based on the quality of the players you have compared to before. He has moments when he can help the attack, but that depends a lot on the way the other team presses."
Speaking about the midfield trio of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, and Ryan Gravenberch working well together, Slot said:
"For me, it had to do a lot with the fact that we took the positions we wanted them to take. It hasn't happened a lot this season yet that the other team did what we expected them to do mainly. Mostly, we have to adjust at halftime if the other team comes up with something completely new against us. It is normal because most of the teams we face, they have one week to prepare."
