Reds sting Bees with comfortable Anfield win

Liverpool 2 Brentford 0, 25th August 2024

Aug 25, 2024

The Egyptian King, on the score sheet again. Picture courtesy of and with thanks to www.tntsports.co.uk

LIVERPOOL 2 (Díaz 13, Salah 70)
BRENTFORD 0

An eerily quiet albeit happy Premier League era record crowd of 60,107 were present today in Liverpool’s very own Coliseum to acclaim a second consecutive comfortable 2–0 victory to start yet another season of English football and a first home win for new manager, Arne Slot. A sublime back to front, defence to attack goal from Colombian magician Luis Díaz settled any home nerves on 13 minutes to cap an improving first quarter of an hour of football from a dominant Reds who would do likewise with 20 minutes remaining through the determination of Dominik Szoboszlai to snag a loose ball in midfield, an astute quick forward pass from Alexis Mac Allister found an assist from the Colombian magic man before a cool finish from the Egyptian King Mo Salah topped 25 minutes of crisp, incisive and attacking football that pleased the eye of Reds watching all around the world as well as those lucky to be present around the fields of Anfield Road. Not flawless by any means (Christian Nørgaard really should have scored on the half hour with a free header he completely fluffed and Nathan Collins forced a strong and smart save from Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker on 56 minutes with the game still in the balance at only 1–0) but as with last weekend’s 2–0 victory away at newly promoted Ipswich Town the Reds played some magnificent football in patches, were largely watertight in defence and with 20 minutes remaining, those oh so precious 3 Premier League points were firmly in the bag.

So two games in, what do we know of Arne Slot’s Liverpool Reds?

Barring any last minute departures from the squad and despite the howls of protest from the children of The Matrix on social media there wouldn’t appear to be any new arrivals either, it appears the Dutchman from the small, picturesque canal village of Bergentheim has settled on his Premier League starting XI. Alisson Becker (2 clean sheets from 2 games) will continue to hold the impressive challenge to his number 1 jersey from Caoimhin Kelleher at bay and in front of him is arguably the Reds strongest possible defensive back four. Ibrahima Konaté staked his claim once more to a permanent place beside captain Virgil van Dijk today with a dominant performance that ensured his skipper had rather a carefree defensive afternoon and either side of them are a free from injury and reinvigorated Scotland captain Andy Robertson (who twice forced Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken into sharp near post saves) and although Trent Alexander-Arnold looked mightily pissed off to be substituted today, he will be in Slot’s starting XI come what may either at right wing back or further forward in midfield. Suffice to say, the Reds back 5 is full of winners, experience, nous, know-how and the strongest possible available.

Some rambling musings from within the madhouse formerly known as Twitter.

Pleasingly, the same can be said for the midfield engine of Slot’s first choice team and whilst the internet screams for a “Number 6” (whatever THAT may be), the Dutchman has settled on his countryman Ryan Gravenberch to fill that crucial position and whilst I’d prefer to see Japanese national captain Wataru Endō crunching into tackles and plugging the holes in front of his defence, Gravenberch, still only 22 years of age remember, continues to impress. So much so that he allowed his central midfield partner Alexis Mac Allister to have a quiet, assured day today and further forward, Dominik Szoboszlai followed last weekend’s “Man of the Match” performance at Ipswich with arguably another today. The Hungarian national captain was immense in both halves of the field forever tracking back on defensive duties or sprinting forward in aid of an attacking front 3 containing Mo Salah (2 games — 2 goals), a quiet Diogo Jota (though he’s clearly ahead of Darwin Núñez in the current pecking order) and today’s star man and all around magician with a football at his dancing feet, Luis Díaz.

Two games. Four goals. Zero conceded. Six precious Premier League points. But some cautionary words to finish. I fear one or two long term injuries (though perhaps I shouldn’t with the likes of Núñez, Endō, Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo, Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah all desperate for a place in the starting XI rather than a place on the substitutes bench) and it’s only two comfortable victories against a newly promoted team and a Brentford team destined to finish in the bottom half of the league yet well clear of the relegation zone.

Manchester United, and a trip to Castle Greyskull up next but first, shall we see how the Reds (still) new boss thought of it all?

Arne’s Afterword

“I think Brentford showed last week with their first goal, but in general also in their first game, that they can play out from the back really good. They tried to do this here as well, sometimes it worked better than other moments but they are also really threatening on the counter-attack and they are obviously a big threat on set-pieces, and I think the only threat they had today was the set-piece where Alisson saved us in the second half. It was also pleasing to see that from their set-piece we could score our first goal”.

“It’s nice to inherit a team and individuals that are so special, and that’s what you saw in the first goal as well. I think Lucho finished it off really good, Mo won an important duel around the 18-yard box — because this is what the margins in football are, if he would have lost that duel they would have maybe got a shot on target. He won the duel and then we could counter-attack them and Diogo made a great pass with the right timing, and a great run from Lucho and he finished it off really well”.

“Every player wants to play 90 minutes but I don’t think the players that were on the bench from the start were really happy with the choices I made. But Trent came back from the national team where at the beginning of the tournament he played quite a lot, then he didn’t, had a few weeks off, came back, it’s only his third game and we have to take care of him as well because we need him for the whole season and not only the first two games. The good thing for me is that I have a very good back-up as well with Conor, so that means we are taking care of Trent. But he played a good game, that’s also what I saw”.

Thanks for reading. Please allow me to show off a couple of self-published books on the Mighty Reds of Liverpool that would look rather delightful on your bookshelves! Both are also free to read on Kindle should you have an Amazon Kindle “Unlimited” package.