Arne Slot started life as Liverpool manager with a deserved 2-0 win over newly-promoted Ipswich Town on Saturday at Portman Road.
This was a tricky opening game for the Reds because, you didn’t know what you were going to get from one of the Premier League’s promoted teams, and how Slot would cope with his first match following the departure of Jurgen Klopp.
In truth, the first half was tricky for Liverpool because they couldn’t get going and Ipswich were looking lively, with their fans in strong voice and behind their team.
But that’s when the Merseyside club turned the screws, increased their speed in play in the second half, and in no time, they were 2-0 up, thanks to goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah.
In truth, it should and could have been a lot more because the Tractor Boys just couldn’t cope with the relentless nature in which the Premier League big boys were coming at them.
Alan Shearer noted that was the ‘big difference’, compared to the first and second half, as Liverpool started the new Premier League campaign with three points and a clean sheet.
One part of Liverpool’s performance really left Shearer impressed and he was sure to highlight it all on Match of the Day.
For the opening goal, Trent Alexander-Arnold threaded a quite stunning through ball for Salah, who then squared it and laid the ball on a plate for Jota to open the scoring.
Shearer made it clear that the pass from Alexander-Arnold, which came from his own half, was just ‘incredible’.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pass
“When Trent gets his ball here, I mean, the pass is just incredible,” said Shearer.
“How you want it, where you want it? Thank you very much. In behind, they are running towards the Ipswich goal, and, as I said, good players are going to finish you off. But that was the big difference between the first half and the second half (speed of play).”
Liverpool’s summer transfer window
It has been well-documented that the club are yet to sign any fresh faces this summer following the departure of Klopp and the arrival of Slot – Martin Zubimendi has rejected the chance to join Liverpool.
If they had dropped points at Ipswich, then you just know what the headlines were going to be the next day.
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But the players shut off that noise and put a deserved three points on the table – Kieran McKenna highlighted Liverpool’s ‘ruthless’ players.
Both men on the right flank are going to be very, very crucial as to where the team ends up because they are the proven winners in the team.
The only issue is that Alexander-Arnold has been heavily linked with Real Madrid and Salah, just like Virgil van Dijk and TAA, is out of contract next summer.
Van Dijk has shared that he hasn’t been offered a new contract by Liverpool, as you wonder what the play is here by the club.
The post ‘Just incredible’: Alan Shearer amazed by Liverpool star in Arne Slot’s first win v Ipswich appeared first on HITC.
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