How Liverpool's defensive record under Arne Slot compares with the past

Liverpool have enjoyed a perfect start to the Premier League under new boss Arne Slot, winning all three of their opening games and scoring seven goals in the process.

Arguably the most impressive stat is that the Reds haven't conceded a goal; in fact, they are the only top-flight team to have kept clean sheets in every fixture so far.

Whilst ‘Slot-ball’ has been praised for its exciting and technical qualities, it has also solidified Liverpool defensively.

Only three matchdays of the Premier League have taken place so it is a little early to call but so far it seems like the Reds are more secure at the back under their new coach.

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Liverpool’s defensive record last season

In the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, the Reds only managed to keep 10 clean sheets, the least they ever managed under Jürgen Klopp.

First-choice goalkeeper Alisson did miss a substantial part of the season but Caoimhin Kelleher was an able deputy and this isn’t an obvious reason for Liverpool’s openness at the back.

As well as only keeping 10 clean sheets, Liverpool went 1-0 down 16 times in the Premier League last season.

Klopp’s team always had the handle of mentality monsters but for any side to come back from 1-0 down in almost half of their league games is a big ask.

Although we may never know what truly caused this defensive weakness from Liverpool, it appears that Slot has found a solution.

Liverpool’s defence under Slot

Although we are only three games into the Slot era at Anfield, the Dutchman has already done what no Reds manager has achieved for over a hundred years.

Slot became the first boss to start his Liverpool career with three consecutive league wins since William Edward Barclay and John McKenna shared the reins when LFC was first founded in 1892.

He has also led his side to three consecutive clean sheets, something the Reds didn’t manage at any point last season.

This hasn’t been achieved by moments of individual brilliance, although Alisson has looked sharp between the sticks, but by the team fully embracing ‘Slot-ball’.

It is important to note here that Liverpool have only played newly promoted Ipswich Town, Brentford who finished 16^th in the top flight last term and a Manchester United side who recorded their lowest finish of the Premier League era last season.

Liverpool’s strong start

Jarell Quansah started alongside club captain Virgil van Dijk for the Reds' opener against Ipswich Town but the 21-year-old was substituted off at half-time as part of a tactical decision by the new Liverpool boss on his managerial debut for the club.

Quansah was replaced by Ibrahima Konaté who has played every minute of the Premier League campaign since that substitution.

The rest of Liverpool’s back four has remained the same for all three matches, with Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back, Virgil van Dijk as the other centre-back and Andy Robertson on the left.

Both Trent and Robertson have been substituted off multiple times but only when Liverpool were in a winning position.

Slot seems to have an established starting XI and it will be interesting to see how a congested fixture list over the next few months will affect this.

For now, ahead of Nottingham Forest’s trip to Anfield on Saturday, it appears that Slot will stick with the same back four that have kept his perfect record up to this point.

Winning matches is the most important thing in football, but keeping clean sheets makes it a lot easier to win.

Although Liverpool will definitely concede at some point over the coming weeks, shutting out the opposition will go a long way towards helping the Reds achieve a high league position this season.

Slot is not Klopp, and this is something that he has emphasised himself, but if Liverpool’s new boss can keep his team defending this well, he may just be able to achieve as much as his predecessor at Anfield.