Liverpool FC: Celebrating Christmas in Style
This article was written by one of our Young Reporters, a scheme that gives 14 to 18-year-old school students a chance to write for a real newspaper. Find out more at the Young Reporter website.
The perfect Christmas present for Liverpool fans: basking in glory at the top of the table.
After Liverpool’s rampant triumph at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, defeating Spurs at their home ground with a conclusive 6-3 win, they have ended their mid-season campaign at the top of both Premier League and Champion’s League tables, and have reached the semi-final of the EFL cup.
Head Coach Arne Slot began his tenure at the Merseyside club on the first of June with a pre-existing up-hill battle, facing not only the hurdle of pleasing the fanbase of the most successful football club in the Premier League, but also that of living up to his predecessor Jürgen Klopp, the charismatic and lively football genius who had served dutifully at the club of approximately nine years.
The German maestro had won Champion’s League, Premier League, EFL and FA Cup titles, all while earning the respect of football fans worldwide for his good-humour and tactical mastermind.
Many were doubtful of Slot’s chances of succeeding to the extent of Klopp, however, while we are still early in his leadership, his tactical prowess and record since taking over have been more than impressive.
Since Slot’s arrival, only one defeat has been registered for the club, a one-off 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest (who have also exceeded expectations currently fourth in the Premier League) in September.
Slot is on track to join the list of successful Liverpool managers, and the stats seem to prove it; Liverpool has the most wins in the league so far with 12, Mohamed Salah is both the top scorer and top assister in the league with 15 and 11 respectively, as well as Virgil van Dijk having the most passes completed.
Van Dijk’s impressive pass rate can be evidenced by Liverpool’s style of play, often building out from the defensive line, making passes between the two centre-backs Konate and Van Dijk, and the keeper Alisson, so that they can invite opposition press and bait the opposing teams into pressing them so that one pass onto players such as Szoboszlai in midfield/CAM can remove three to four opposition players from the game.
A devout Liverpool fan, Mahmood Ali, was happy to express his glee:
I don’t think any of us could’ve expected this with the changeover in manager but the team has far overshot expectations, and I am looking forward to see what success Arne Slot can achieve in the remainder of the season.”
However, football is an unpredictable phenomenon, changing by the second, and so Liverpool’s success may not be everlasting or sustainable, especially with clubs like Chelsea potent as ever to dethrone them, despite Enzo Maresca’s insistence that they are “not in the title race.”
Furthermore, on a more long-term note, the contract situations of star players Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold should be concerning for Liverpool fans, with all three able to leave for free at the end of the season.
Despite this, Liverpool fans can certainly rest easy for the time being, securing a win against Leicester City on Boxing Day to begin the second half of the season on a high, as well as the comfort of impending Carabao Cup, Premier League, Champion’s League titles.
