Liverpool have started their Premier League season strongly after registering their second 2-0 victory against Brentford at Anfield this Sunday. The Reds kept the clean sheet and dominated most of the game after Arne Slot made only one change.
Slot played Ibrahima Konate ahead of Jarell Quansah as the rest of the team remained the same that beat Ipswich Town. Brentford provided some trouble during the game as they continued to improve under Thomas Frank after winning their first game.
Liverpool played with a similar midfield with Ryan Gravenberch as the number six behind Alexis Mac Allister and Dominic Szoboszlai. Liverpool’s failure to sign Martin Zubimendi seemed like a distant memory as Gravenberch dictated the game incredibly under new tactics.
The 22-year-old has played as a defensive midfielder during his tenure at his youth club Ajax and looked comfortable there. Gravenberch’s competition in the squad is Wataru Endo who came on as the substitution very late in the second half.
During the post-match press conference (via Liverpoolfc.com), the reporter asked Slot about what Endo should do to get more game time. Slot replied:
“It is not always about the player himself, it’s also about the competition he faces. We have many good midfielders like we have many good players. We are really pleased with the way Wata[Wataru Endo] is training for us but he has some good competition and I think you saw today a good performance from all three midfielders, so it is not always about him – it is also about the others. He will be important for us during the season because we need all of them; we all know how long a season can be over here and how many players you need – and he is one of them that we are going to need in the upcoming season.”
Liverpool have a very strong depth in midfield as Curtis Jones missed the game due to an injury he suffered earlier. The depth in the squad is necessary for Slot to manage the game time of the players during the congested fixture period.
Liverpool will face more fixtures than they have in previous seasons due to the change in the Champions League format. Endo has a crucial role to play for Liverpool when those fixtures will arrive quickly and Slot implements rotation.
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The style that Slot applies prioritizes calmness and more efficiency compared to the direct play Liverpool enjoyed under Jurgen Klopp. The style could help avoid injury crisis which would help the club immensely and also the players as they stay available.
