Arne Slott crouched down and shook his head at the Anfield grass. His Liverpool side bombarded the Fulham goal with a flurry of shots and a chaotic 93rd minute that rivaled any Sunday League match in the country failed to produce a breakthrough.
The latest siege was what fueled Sloter’s anger, but as he confirmed after the game, it was the body language of a manager who knows how close his team came to a hard-fought win.
A draw at home to a Fulham team that had recently taken points from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur was no disaster when they were reduced to just 10 players for more than 75 minutes. But Slaughter’s furious pace in his technical area and his continued head-shaking were testament to the resilience his team displayed and the desire of the entire team.
Control as usual, but resilience is key to avoid critical mistakes
There was a buzz around Anfield when Tony Harrington pointed into the tunnel to confirm Andy Robertson had been sent off for tackle Harry Wilson. Not a murmur of surrender, nor a murmur of anger, but a sense of speculation, even anticipation, considering a comeback at Anfield. This is uncharted territory for Arne Slott, whose time at Liverpool has been relatively smooth sailing.
After 16 minutes, Liverpool fans realized that a special performance was needed if they were to maintain their gap at the top. This is what they get.
“I’m very, very, very happy with the performance. I couldn’t ask for more. Being two goals down, a lot of things go against you, except for one thing, which is our players and our fans, who were outstanding today. praised Slaughter, who is ninth in the standings. four-four-two List of the best managers in the world right now.
Control has been the catchphrase for Slott’s Liverpool side, but against Fulham they must draw on a tenacity that has rarely been required this season. Liverpool’s character was even more impressive given the stop-start nature of the game.
“It doesn’t help – we have momentum -” Slaughter said after the game. [was] After we scored, the game was delayed again for three, four or five minutes because they were on the ground and it was a little too much for us to keep the momentum going. ”
Here, Slott once again realized what a useful weapon the Anfield fans can be to Liverpool’s arsenal. It’s become common for the Kops to use mid-game lulls to trail, and that approach was in full effect after Cody Gakpo’s equalizer.
Fulham’s Kenny Tait while receiving treatment on the pitch anfield road stadium Swelling on the ground. It’s clear from the stands that there’s tremendous belief in these moments from players and fans alike this season.
Arsenal’s draw at home to Everton ensured a point was enough for Liverpool but, above all, it was another performance that fueled growing hopes that the trophy would arrive at Anfield again at the end of the season.
While Slott praised his “outstanding” players, credit must go to the Dutchman for his tactical tweaks that helped Liverpool overcome one of his toughest challenges in the dugout to date.
When the number of players is reduced to ten men, an immediate and perhaps negative option is to replace one of the starting three forwards with Jarrel Quansah and move Joe Gomez to To left back. Instead, Slott opted to push Ryan Gravenberch into a back three alongside Gomez and Virgil van Dijk.
when four four two When asked what Slaughter thought of Gravenberch’s performance, he said: “Impressed, like everyone who was in the stadium or watching the game. Ryan was outstanding again today.
Without the ball, he spent most of his time in our last line of defence, having to play against the number nine at times, against very fast wingers. With the ball, he came to the midfield. His performance was outstanding. “
This change proved to be key in controlling the game, as evidenced by Liverpool’s 61% possession rate. Despite being behind, Liverpool had 5% more possession than before Premier League game average this season.
By comparison, Arsenal, a team that likes to dominate possession, has averaged just 37% possession in games that have seen red cards this season.
Out of control, Slaughter took a page from the work of Ange Postecoglou and stuck to his principles. He gestured to his players on the sidelines, urging them to press Fulham forward. The results are clear – Liverpool have made more tackles in the final third than ever before this season.
Yes, Liverpool struggled for an equalizer in both phases of the game, but this was against a Fulham side who had the third-highest average possession rate outside the traditional six leagues this season. Credit must be given to Marco Silva’s team, who defended tenaciously in the midfield and counterattacked well. As Slaughter said, “Unfortunately for us, maybe their only chance [us having] 10 men led to a goal”.
Perhaps notable for the poor performance of the opposition players, left-back Anthony Robinson in particular was aggressive defensively while still being very proactive going forward. At 27, his age may be the only thing stopping top teams from bringing in the American.
Unsurprisingly, Sloter seemed relaxed when talking to reporters after the game, despite his frustration at the end of the whirlwind game. The former Feyenoord boss has overcome this latest hurdle and knows the spirit his players have shown has set them up well for a sustained winter of intense competition.
