We can park the “we’re champions in waiting” talk for now. Liverpool haven’t looked like that all season and, truth is, that ship has sailed. But that doesn’t mean every decent away performance needs swatting away as if it’s meaningless.
Going into Arsenal away, plenty of people had us down for a rough night. They’re right up there, they’re organised, and they don’t give much away. So when Liverpool went there and didn’t just hang on, it’s fair to take something from it.
Control counts, even when it isn’t pretty
What stood out was how little Arsenal were allowed to do for big stretches. Liverpool looked the better side for long periods, kept a lid on the game and, importantly, didn’t look like they were waiting for the inevitable to happen.
It wasn’t the free-flowing, front-foot stuff we all miss. It wasn’t wave after wave of chances. But control is a skill in itself, especially away from home against a top side. Sometimes your “good game” is about being hard to play against, winning second balls, managing transitions and keeping your shape when the crowd is trying to drag the home team forward.
Fine margins and the reality of tight games
People love saying luck doesn’t exist in football, right up until a tight match swings on one bounce or one decision. These games are often decided by inches, not by who has the nicest patterns of play.
Liverpool created good situations. And if one ball breaks differently, or if VAR sees a foul on Wirtz the way you’ve seen them given before, you’re suddenly talking about a huge away win instead of another “yeah but…” conversation.
That’s not making excuses. It’s just acknowledging what top-level football actually is: a series of moments where you need quality and composure, and you also need the game to go your way once or twice.
A step forward, and a bit of perspective on Slot
None of this wipes away a disappointing season. It’s not what we wanted or what many expected when it started. But if you’re judging progress, you’ve got to allow for performances like this to count as small steps in the right direction.
And that’s where the debate around Arne Slot can get muddied. If you already don’t fancy him, you’ll watch a controlled performance away at the league leaders and still only see what’s missing. To be fair, it’s fine to want more. We all do. But it’s also fine to bank the little wins when they come.
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