Arne Slot told he was too slow to make tactical change that could’ve won Liverpool the game against Arsenal



Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been told he was too slow to realise he should’ve inverted Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield against Arsenal today.

The Reds ended up equalising in the second half to come away from the Emirates Stadium with a 2-2 draw, which is certainly not a bad result by any means, though journalist David Lynch feels it could have been a win.

Arsenal dominated the midfield in the first half, with Liverpool simply outnumbered, and Lynch says that if Slot had made that tactical change with Alexander-Arnold sooner, it could’ve been a win for the visitors instead of just a point, even if it’s still a good point…

Liverpool will be frustrated that they only had to invert Alexander-Arnold and show more aggression to seize control in the second half – if they'd done it earlier, they may have won. But you can't complain about coming from behind twice to draw at Arsenal, it's a great result.

— David Lynch (@davidlynchlfc) October 27, 2024

Alexander-Arnold ended up having a key role in the Liverpool equaliser, playing a superb ball forward for Darwin Nunez, who ended up providing the cross for Mohamed Salah to score and make it 2-2.

Trent Alexander-Arnold shows his importance to Liverpool

Trent Alexander-Arnold in action for Liverpool (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Slot did well to eventually change Alexander-Arnold’s role slightly, with the England international showing once again how important he is to Liverpool.

The 26-year-old is nearing the end of his contract at Anfield, meaning he could be a free agent next summer, and it’s surely vital for LFC to keep hold of him.

CaughtOffside understands Liverpool have asked about potential replacements for Alexander-Arnold, but he’s shown once again that he plays his role as well as anyone in world football.


 

Even if there are other quality right-backs out there, it’s hard to imagine Liverpool finding it easy to truly replace an influential player like this.

Liverpool will be pleased Slot showed the tactical flexibility to improve his team’s display in the second half, with the Dutchman continuing his strong start at the club since taking on the challenging job of replacing the legendary Jurgen Klopp in the summer.