How did a group that nobody tipped to win the Premier League win the Premier League? Right here, James Nalton seems to be on the ways behind Arne Slot‘s crowning season.
Underneath Arne Slot, Liverpool had been the excellent outfit in 2024/25 and ultimately gained the title with 4 video games to spare. They went to the highest of the league on November 2 and there they remained for the period.
Slot turned the gamers he inherited from the Jurgen Klopp period, who had topped the desk for round a 3rd of the 2023/24 season however ultimately completed third, into a bunch that might do this little bit additional required to recover from the road.
It could possibly be mentioned it was as a lot about what they didn’t do, or what they did much less of, as what they did do. The tweaks Slot and his coaches made to Liverpool’s form and elegance helped them discover an additional edge within the league.
There has not been as a lot of a buzz round Slot’s ways as there was across the different managers who’ve gained the Premier League lately, Klopp and Pep Guardiola, who outlined the league’s type from the highest.
Different managers within the league this season, similar to Andoni Iraola, Thomas Frank, and Nuno Espirito Santo, have at numerous factors attracted extra curiosity tactically.
Slot and his group have now compelled the difficulty. The ways of champions must be analysed.
From Klopp and Guardiola to Slot
Klopp was all concerning the counter-pressing and the “heavy metallic soccer,” whereas Guardiola’s Man Metropolis groups have been commonplace bearers of the positional recreation with some typical Guardiola tinkering and innovating thrown in.
Each Klopp’s Liverpool and Guardiola’s Metropolis shared traits, however it was typically simple to speak about them as tactical trendsetters as a result of their types stood out.
That’s not essentially the case with Slot.
Slot’s group get pleasure from loads of possession however should not the aspect within the league with the very best common possession. Man Metropolis high that specific chart whereas Chelsea have usually been forward of Liverpool for common possession this season.
Liverpool common 57.8 p.c possession and 528 passes per recreation – their lowest on each counts for the reason that 2015/16 season.
Slot’s group press, however aren’t probably the most lively pressers within the league. They’re behind Tottenham, Bournemouth, and Arsenal for opposition passes allowed per defensive motion (PPDA); and are fifth for opposition passing sequences pressed (low PPDA means extra urgent – see Opta for definitions).
Slot’s group do the whole lot properly however don’t do something to the purpose the place they’re outlined by it.
A number of the Klopp traits are nonetheless on present, not least within the purpose that put Liverpool forward in opposition to Spurs. Ryan Gravenberch gained the ball excessive up the pitch, and his midfield accomplice Alexis Mac Allister let off a shot from distance, which flew previous goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
That each Gravenberch and Mac Allister had been so excessive up the sector on this second reveals how Slot’s Liverpool are nonetheless able to efficient excessive urgent in sure moments.
The Reds are fourth within the league in terms of how distant from their very own purpose open play attacking strikes start, which hints at excessive urgent and a excessive line of defense.
Slot’s Liverpool win possession within the closing third 4.5 occasions per recreation on common, placing them eighth within the league for this stat, and that is additionally round common for Klopp’s Liverpool, however a lot decrease than the 2019/20 title-winning group (5.53) and Klopp’s final season (6.13).
It illustrates some urgent however, once more, they don’t seem to be outlined by it.
Midfield re-focus
One space of weak spot within the Liverpool group at first of the season was presumed to be within the deepest midfield position. The membership appeared to assume so, too. They tried to signal Martin Zubimendi, however the Spanish midfielder selected to remain at Actual Sociedad.
To unravel this downside, Slot transformed Gravenberch right into a deep-lying midfielder, utilizing his capacity to show in midfield to assist transfer Liverpool ahead, and his bodily presence to contribute defensively.
Per Transfermarkt, Gravenberch performed 1,121 league minutes within the 2023/24 season, however that has risen to three,011 minutes in 2024/25, and he has began all however one league recreation with two nonetheless to go.
Positionally, he works in a deep midfield place however does quite a lot of masking down the suitable the place Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold assault.
He has been the insurance coverage permitting these gamers to get ahead with extra freedom, but in addition chooses his personal moments to get ahead.
The graphics beneath, from SofaScore, present his 2023/24 (high) and 2024/25 (backside) season heatmaps. His elevated involvement and new duty in deep areas, extra centered on the suitable in defence, is evident to see.
Stationed alongside Gravenberch however generally pushing up alongside Dominik Szoboszlai, Mac Allister has been the perfect midfielder within the Premier League this season.
The stats won’t present as a lot, however like Slot’s group as a complete, he has been the perfect all-rounder with out essentially standing out in a single specific space.
Forward of Mac Allister, Szoboszlai’s tactical position has additionally been key to Slot’s title-winning group.
The Hungarian’s superior place has led to the concept Liverpool are taking part in a 4-2-3-1, however it’s extra like a staggered midfield three, with Szoboszlai taking part in on the suitable as a free-eight, Kevin De Bruyne-type, moderately than as a central No. 10.
The technically gifted Hungarian has been stationed as probably the most superior of the three midfielders, morphing the group from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-4 at occasions in defence and assault as he joins the entrance line to the suitable of the striker, with Mac Allister sometimes becoming a member of that line to the left of centre.
Liverpool’s common positions and motion this season based mostly on a number of participant heatmaps and from watching the video games. A take a look at the roles as a lot as the person gamers.
— James Nalton (@jdnalton.bsky.social) 2025-01-28T17:00:56.901Z
His work fee off the ball has helped Salah have the season he has had, and whereas at occasions criticised for his finish product, Szoboszlai has been key to the form and the execution of the tactical plan.
After Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Metropolis in February, Szoboszlai dropped to the ground by way of exhaustion, summing up the work he places in and the way a lot he’s given to this title win, even when in a barely totally different method of contribution than many anticipated after he joined from RB Leipzig.
What the gamers say
All through the season, gamers have spoken about Slot’s adjustments, even when they haven’t gone into an excessive amount of element about what has been modified.
“He tweaks our position each single recreation actually, relying on who we’re taking part in, how they arrange, and the way we need to arrange,” Andy Robertson mentioned in December, additionally referencing different coaches who embody Slot’s assistants Sipke Hulshoff and John Heitinga.
“We’ve got totally different positions and totally different roles inside each recreation. Tactically, he’s unbelievable, him and his employees.”
This season, the position of full-backs like Robertson, has seen them function extra centrally at occasions when defending as Slot has tried to work out one of the best ways to cease groups counterattacking in opposition to a excessive line – an issue many high managers grapple with.
Robertson and Alexander-Arnold recurrently strategy the ahead line inside moderately than at all times overlapping.
In comparison with final season, when Alexander-Arnold was shifting inside deeper within the buildup section, he’s now doing so increased up the pitch.
Conor Bradley does one thing comparable, driving extra with the ball but in addition doing so going inside moderately than out, as proven by his help for Diaz in opposition to Fulham and for Szoboszlai within the League Cup in opposition to Spurs.
Kostas Tsimikas presents a excessive stage of creativity from the left when he performs, by way of crossing and progressive passing.
Progressive passes per 90 minutes, Premier League 2024/25 (+500 minutes performed, FBref):?? Martin Ødegaard – 10.40?? Kostas Tsimikas – 9.05?? Bruno Fernandes – 8.92??????? Trent Alexander-Arnold – 8.46
— James Nalton (@jdnalton.bsky.social) 2025-04-21T09:28:09.955Z
These extra central positions for the extensive defensive gamers assist assist Gravenberch and Mac Allister and this sort of relaxation defence in entrance of the centre-backs helps cease counter-attacks.
A whole lot of the facets talked about above, plus the midfield rotations which retain an analogous form no matter who’s doing what, had been on present for the Mac Allister purpose in opposition to Spurs.
As quickly as Liverpool lose the ball, Szoboszlai presses on the suitable, and with Gravenberch already excessive up on the counter-press, Mac Allister drops into the deeper place and Robertson stays central, instantly making the defensive form extra compact.
Simply earlier than the purpose, Liverpool are in a 2-3-5 formation excessive up the pitch, with the full-backs positioned in midfield.
When Gakpo drops again to probably obtain a move from Mac Allister, Robertson thinks about overlapping, however solely as soon as he is aware of Gakpo is filling that deeper house, in case the ball is misplaced.
Ultimately, Gakpo and Robertson weren’t wanted as Gravenberch gained the ball again and Mac Allister fired Liverpool forward within the recreation.
Judging by what the gamers say, and taking a look at how the group performs and units up on the sector, Slot’s adjustments seem to have been round positioning and decision-making.
He has tweaked among the issues Pepijn Lijnders did with the group in possession whereas retaining a few of Klopp’s out-of-possession concepts however deploying them extra sparingly inside video games.
Arne Slot on following Klopp and successful the title (Sky): “It is not solely been my job, it has been the job of the gamers and employees members, and the work Jurgen and Pepijn left behind right here. The tradition, work fee, and high quality of the group was excellent.”
— James Nalton (@jdnalton.bsky.social) 2025-04-27T18:15:02.443Z
It’s extra progressive metallic moderately than heavy metallic, nonetheless in a position to ramp up the tempo and the quantity in sure moments, however blissful to be extra affected person in others.
“Simply earlier than we began the season, he confirmed us why we didn’t win the league the 12 months earlier than,” Ibrahima Konate mentioned of Slot.
“He mentioned if we modify that and enhance on that, now we have a giant probability to win the league, and that’s what we’ve performed for the reason that begin of the season.”
Maybe the perfect abstract from a participant of Slot’s ways got here shortly after he arrived.
Curtis Jones received in a little bit of hassle for his feedback, which had been twisted on the time as one way or the other being disrespectful to Klopp, however they had been merely stating what had modified.
“The rules are the identical, however I really feel that now the centre-mids are going to be extra the center of the group,” mentioned Jones.
“Mo remains to be going to get his targets, however when it comes to our build-up, it’s how comfy and calm now we have to be and play extra as a group.
“We’re not in a rush to assault, we need to have the ball and break groups down, and that provides us an opportunity. If we give the ball away, we will go and press.
“I really feel prior to now it was a rush to get the ball again, and it was somewhat bit too direct, up and down, up and down.
“Now it’s going to be the place he needs us to have all of the ball and simply utterly kill groups.”
It as soon as once more emphasises a give attention to the group’s play within the centre of the sector, which made the Gravenberch, Mac Allister, and Szoboszlai dynamic a key part of this group.
Jones himself has been utilized in a number of positions however appeared most spectacular within the Mac Allister or Szoboszlai roles, the place he may contribute to build-up play additional ahead.
The standouts
All of this has allowed Salah to have arguably the perfect season of his profession, regardless of loads of competitors for that title amongst his earlier seasons.
Even with two video games to play, Salah has already had extra touches within the opposition field than in any of his earlier Premier League seasons, and he’s recurrently the goal of Liverpool’s direct assaults, receiving lengthy passes from Virgil van Dijk or Alexander-Arnold.
And if there’s one general space of output that does stand out below Slot, it’s counter-attacking.
Liverpool have scored probably the most targets from counter-attacks (14) and are a long way forward of different groups for Opta-defined ‘quick breaks’ (successfully counter-attacks) with 74 in whole, forward of next-best Chelsea‘s 58, with 64 leading to photographs forward of Chelsea‘s 51.
Salah has 25 photographs from counter-attacks this season (seven of them targets), far forward of the subsequent highest on this checklist – Matheus Cunha and Son Heung-min with 13 every.
Although the output is outlined by Salah’s targets and creativity, and Alexander-Arnold’s playmaking, beneath that’s an apparent change to the method, specializing in the midfield and a form on the again which makes an attempt to cease counter-attacks earlier or enable Liverpool to reset right into a defensive form earlier, and take management the sport faster as soon as in possession.
That is possible why it seems like Liverpool have had extra management below Slot, regardless that the possession numbers are decrease than they had been below Klopp.
It’s this management and reorganisation whereas sustaining the mentality, counter-pressing and counter-attacking from the Klopp period, that has turned Liverpool from challengers to champions as soon as once more.
