Arne Slot credits tactic for Liverpool's Brighton win and rubs salt into Arsenal wound

Arne Slot has expressed that Liverpool’s win over Brighton was sweetened by the defeats of fellow title contenders Manchester City and Arsenal on Saturday.

Despite being down 1-0, Liverpool mounted a comeback to secure a 2-1 victory against the Seagulls, with Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah delivering pivotal goals. This match marked their second triumph against Brighton within the week, having previously won 3-2 in the Carabao Cup.

Under Slot’s strategic leadership, Liverpool continued to impress, securing their eighth win in 10 Premier League games since his arrival at Anfield. The team now holds a two-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City and occupies the top spot with a seven-point gap above fourth-placed Arsenal.

Manchester City’s unexpected 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth halted their 32-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League. Similarly, Newcastle handed Arsenal a 1-0 loss at St James’ Park in the day’s opening game.

While managers often downplay the significance of rivals results, Slot offered a candid response on Match of the Day regarding the setbacks experienced by Arsenal and City.

“It feels special because we faced Arsenal last week,” Slot acknowledged, adding “They are a tough team with a clear vision for the game, and today we saw the same quality from City. Facing two top teams in quick succession, we had to come from behind in both matches to secure results, which made today particularly rewarding, not just because of the other outcomes.”

The Liverpool manager adopted a cautious tone in his post-match analysis at Anfield. Reflecting on whether Saturday’s results presented a significant chance for his team, the Dutchman remarked: “No, not because of the fact that they (Arsenal and City) lost.

“But what I do like a lot is that last week, two times we came one goal behind against Arsenal, 1-0 and 2-1, and two times we were able to fight ourselves back into the game.”

He continued with palpable pride about his team’s performance: “And in this game we were 1-0 down at half-time, which I think we deserved, and then to come back so strong against such a quality team that has spent so much money in recent years as well, led by a few very good managers in the last few years, then to come back the way we did gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.”

Yet he also offered a word of warning: “But I also added after the game to the players that 45 minutes of the football we played in the first half will, in the end, punish you somewhere. So we need to show up from the start.”

Looking forward, Slot turns his attention to Liverpool’s forthcoming Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday evening, followed by a challenging home fixture against Aston Villa the subsequent weekend.