Slot's Liverpool confirm title pedigree as Salah shows value

Tottenham head Ange Postecoglou lifted the celebrated statement from the movie Gladiator pursuing the chaotic thrust of triumph complete Manchester United erstwhile he asked: "Are you not entertained?"

It was Postecoglou's measurement of answering questions astir his cavalier approach, aft Spurs threatened to concede a 3-0 lead successful Thursday's Carabao Cup quarter-final earlier winning 4-3.

The problem is that Postecoglou's thought of intermezo useful 2 ways - arsenic he and Spurs recovered retired to their costs arsenic they were brutally punished by Liverpool successful beforehand of their ain supporters.

Liverpool surely recovered Spurs highly entertaining successful a 6-3 triumph that was obscurity adjacent an meticulous reflection of their superiority. It demonstrated why Arne Slot's squad are successful power of the title title pinch a four-point lead complete Chelsea astatine Christmas, pinch a crippled successful hand, while Spurs languish successful 11th place, 8 points disconnected fourth.

Entertainment is ne'er a problem pinch Spurs nether Postecoglou. But pleasance is laced pinch an constituent of sporting torture erstwhile they are exposed to a squad of Liverpool's world-class attacking quality.

There person now been 30 goals successful Spurs' past 5 games. Entertaining each right, but 10 of those person been scored against Postecoglou's squad successful successive location convention defeats by Chelsea and Liverpool. In the second case, the only mobility was really Liverpool only scored six while someway conceding three.

Liverpool's expected goals full was 4.6 to Spurs' 1.2. Slot's team, measured by Opta statistics, carved retired 9 large chances - grounds to their power arsenic good the protect vulnerability Postecoglou shows small motion of addressing pinch other pragmatism.

It would unfair connected Postecoglou and Spurs not to constituent retired that he is missing first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario arsenic good arsenic cardinal defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. These are large absentees for a squad playing successful specified an unfastened style, particularly Van de Ven, whose gait is truthful important to Postecoglou's favoured precocious line.

Spurs are stretched connected numbers, meaning Postecoglou fielded an unchanged broadside from that which faced Manchester United connected Thursday.

No specified problems for Liverpool, however, who person now won 12 and drawn 3 of their 16 convention games this season. They besides person the highest extremity quality of positive 21.

The modulation from Jurgen Klopp to Slot has been singular successful its seamlessness, helped by Mohamed Salah's evident determination to rewrite Liverpool's grounds books, whether he extends his Anfield statement aliases not.

Slot has taken what Klopp near him and has, if anything, shaped it into a much controlled, measured machine, pinch Salah arsenic its spearhead.

The 2 goals he scored successful the 2nd half took him to a singular tally of 229 goals successful 373 games, moving up of the legendary Billy Liddell - who was truthful influential during his Anfield profession that they were often renamed "Liddellpool" - and into 4th spot connected the club's database of all-time scorers.

And to show conscionable really bully Salah has been, Liddell scored 228 successful 534 games, pinch his 228th extremity coming successful his 526th appearance.

Salah is now down Gordon Hodgson pinch 241 - would you backmost against him overhauling that this season? - World Cup victor Roger Hunt pinch 285 and grounds holder Ian Rush pinch 346.

He has now scored and assisted much than 10 goals successful the Premier League this season, pinch 15 goals and 11 assists. With conscionable 16 games played, this is the joint-quickest that a subordinate to deed double figures successful some categories successful a azygous Premier League run since Harry Kane, who besides took 16 matches to do it, successful 2020-21.

It is besides the sixth Premier League play successful which Salah's goals and assists totals person some reached double figures. No-one successful the Premier League era tin lucifer that.

The statistic connection a numerical measurement of Salah's power and value but it goes wider than that - each the much logic why Liverpool must surely beryllium prioritising his signature connected a caller contract.

Slot mightiness person looked arsenic if he was taking connected the intolerable occupation erstwhile he succeeded Klopp successful the summer, but Liverpool's assignment of the erstwhile Feyenoord coach looks much for illustration a masterstroke pinch each passing week.

He has won 21 of his first 25 games successful charge, the fastest immoderate head has reached specified a fig successful complaint of a top-flight English nine since William Suddell pinch Preston successful 1888-89.

And pinch this latest spectacular triumph, it intends this is only the 3rd clip successful Liverpool's history they person reached Christmas Day without being beaten distant from home.

Slot's calm demeanour and analytical, meticulous approach, differs from Klopp's much emotion-driven style: low-key waves to Liverpool fans replacing the frantic fist pumps. The existent squad is simply a reflection of his personality. The convention leaders still person the attacking riches and threat of his predecessor but pinch the Dutchman's tweaks adding greater composure.

He said: "Being apical of the convention tells you we are a very bully team. There are still 3 games to spell until halfway, but if you travel present and play the crippled we did, past it shows you we are a very difficult squad to beat. If it was easy to triumph the convention past each squad would do it."

This is the 21st clip Liverpool person led the convention connected Christmas Day. They person gone connected to triumph the title successful 11 of those erstwhile 20 seasons.

In contrast, this was a time of suffering for Postecoglou arsenic different extremity glut meant Spurs person conceded 31 goals successful Premier League location games successful 2024. That is the astir they person shipped astatine location successful the convention successful a almanac twelvemonth since the 34 they mislaid successful 2007.

He said: "It was a achy one. Credit to Liverpool. They were excessively bully for us. They're successful a awesome moment, awesome form, emotion confident. It was a span excessively acold for us."

If this was a span excessively acold for Spurs, location presently seems small to limit the travel Liverpool mightiness return nether Arne Slot.