Football writer Adrian Clarke analyses Arne Slot's impact and how the head coach's approach secured a second Premier League title for Liverpool in his debut season in charge.
Manager analysis: Arne Slot (Liverpool)
Slot is just the fifth head coach to land the title in his debut Premier League season.
The Dutchman should feel enormous pride at the way he masterminded Liverpool’s comprehensive triumph, joining an exclusive club which contains Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte (all Chelsea), plus Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City).
Slot’s astute tactics and calm mentality inspired them to a runaway success as he built on the excellent foundations laid by Jurgen Klopp.
Here’s a closer look at his approach, and how it got the Reds over the line with five matches to spare….
Defence improved by tactical tweaks
The most obvious adjustment from Klopp’s Liverpool was Slot’s immediate switch from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1.
The main benefit of this change over the course of the 2024/25 season has been the added layer of protection provided by double-pivot pairing, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.
Together they have worked in tandem to expertly screen passes into the feet of opposition No 9's and No 10's, showing excellent positional discipline.
Gravenberch and Mac Allister have started 30 matches as a pair, developing a terrific, consistent rapport.
The ever-present Gravenberch has enjoyed a stellar season, making more interceptions than any other Premier League midfielder this season.
The much-improved Netherlands star also ranks fifth for the highest number of ball recoveries.
PL midfielders with most interceptions 24/25
| Player | Most interceptions |
| Ryan Gravenberch | 57 |
|---|---|
| Moises Caicedo | 47 |
| Christian Norgaard | 42 |
| Lewis Cook | 40 |
| Carlos Baleba | 40 |
World Cup winner Mac Allister is the greater aggressor, with only three top-flight midfielders winning more tackles than him.
When you consider that Liverpool average 57.9 per cent possession, it indicates how impactful both men have been at breaking up play from potentially damaging transitions.
PL midfielders with most tackles 24/25
| Player | Most Tackles |
| Idrissa Gueye | 123 |
|---|---|
| Moises Caicedo | 100 |
| Joao Gomes | 99 |
| Alexis Mac Allister | 95 |
| Youri Tielemans | 82 |
A stable structure
While Trent Alexander-Arnold is still allowed to drift inside when Liverpool have possession, Slot prefers the England international to focus on being a more orthodox right-back.
Under Klopp last season his pronounced infield positioning, alongside a single defensive midfielder, did leave holes down the right wing which opponents consistently targeted.
Less positional rotation has led to a simpler tactical shape, and with twin-midfielders sitting, the central domain has become more compact.
Alexander-Arnold's heat map last two seasons
Better at the back
The upshot of these tactical tweaks – coupled with excellent individual campaigns from centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate – is a very solid defensive framework.
The numbers are not staggeringly different to last season, but Liverpool’s goalkeeper has been less busy, and opponents have created fewer quality opportunities.
Lowering their Expected Goals Against (xGA) by over 16 per cent, the Reds have been significantly less vulnerable under Slot.
Defensive stats under Klopp and Slot
| Per 90 | Klopp 23/24 | Slot 24/25 |
| Saves | 2.9 | 2.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Goals conc. | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| xGA | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Shots on target faced | 3.9 | 3.2 |
| Shots faced | 10.9 | 9.5 |
| Big chances faced | 2.1 | 1.8 |
Measured in possession
Slot has also had a soothing effect on the construction of their attacks.
Under Klopp, many of their forays forward were done at immense speed, but Slot's style of play demands greater patience.
While Liverpool do not pass the ball around for longer spells under the Dutchman - they actually produce fewer sequences of 10 or more passes - their moves are more measured.
This change in mindset has limited the prospects of them being hit on the counter.
And with the players adapting well to that change, the Reds have significantly improved at turning spells of patient possession into goals.
They have netted 0.28 goals per match from build-up attacks this season, compared to 0.16 in 2023/24.
This improvement has helped them overcome previous struggles encountered when facing low block opponents.
Build-up stats under Klopp and Slot
| Stats | Klopp 23/24 | Slot 24/25 |
| Matches played | 38 | 34 |
|---|---|---|
| Build-up attacks per 90 | 3.89 | 3.94 |
| Build-up goals | 6 | 9 |
| Build-up goals per 90 | 0.16 | 0.28 |
| Direct speed | 1.93 | 1.73 |
| 10+ pass op sequences per 90 | 17.6 | 14.3 |
Brilliance on the break
Liverpool were an outstanding counter attacking side under Klopp, but their current head coach has helped take them to the next level.
Aided by the brilliance of Salah, who has had 25 shots from fast breaks – 10 more than anyone else - and often Luis Diaz too (11), the champions have been by far the best side at turning defence into attack.
Most shots and goals from fast breaks 24/25
| Shots from fast breaks | Goals from fast breaks | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 65 | Liverpool | 14 |
| Chelsea | 45 | Spurs | 10 |
| Newcastle | 42 | Arsenal | 9 |
The use of a floating No 10 has played part in helping Liverpool knit together better-quality counters
Dominik Szoboszlai has revelled in that role, often feeding Salah and Diaz with telling forward passes to launch those breaks.
As you can see from the numbers below, Liverpool made great strides at punishing opponents from counter-attacks.
Attacking stats under Klopp and Slot
| Stats | Klopp 23/24 | Slot 24/25 |
| Shots from fast breaks | 38 | 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Goals from fast breaks | 6 | 13 |
| % Conversion | 10.89 | 13.75 |
| Goals per 90 | 2.1 | 2.4 |
| Big chances per 90 | 2.9 | 4.0 |
| % Big chance conversion | 45.0 | 39.0 |
Over the course of the campaign, Slot’s players have also been far more clinical than they were when finishing third in 2023/24.
Diogo Jota is the only forward who has regressed in terms of their finishing, with players such as Salah and Diaz showing considerable improvements.
Players' % conversion rates under Klopp and Slot
| Player | Klopp 23/24 | Slot 24/25 |
| Salah | 15.8 | 23.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Gakpo | 12.1 | 18.0 |
| Diaz | 8.5 | 18.5 |
| Nunez | 10.2 | 15.6 |
| Jota | 24.4 | 13.0 |
Expert game management
Aside from his smart, subtle tactical changes, the big difference Slot brought to the squad has been calm assurance.
Rarely flustered, his even-keeled outlook has rubbed off on the players, who have managed matches outstandingly well.
Liverpool have been far and away the best front-runners, winning 21 of the 23 matches in which they have gone 1-0 up.
Only Nottingham Forest have scored the first goal more often, but they have dropped 16 points in those 24 matches, while Liverpool's focus from 1-0 has been impressive.
They have stayed in control of their emotions expertly well, making sensible decisions without ever getting carried away.
Teams who have scored the first goal most often PL 24/25
| Team | Scored first | W | D | L | Points |
| LIV | 23 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFO | 24 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 56 |
| ARS | 23 | 15 | 8 | 0 | 53 |
| CHE | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 42 |
| MCI | 19 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 41 |
| FUL | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 32 |
Slot has also retained the fighting spirit which was so important to his predecessor.
Losing only once after conceding the first goal, early in the season at home to Forest, they turned their fortunes around on several occasions with the minimum of fuss.
Liverpool trusted their head coach and his process to help them retrieve several difficult situations and refused to panic.
Most points per match after conceding first goal PL 24/25
| Team | Conceded first | W | D | L | Points per match |
| LIV | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1.50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCI | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 1.36 |
| ARS | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1.33 |
| FUL | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 1.15 |
Second-half specialists
It is said that managers often "earn their money" in the second half, when game-changing decisions are frequently required.
In that sense, Slot has been virtually flawless.
His substitutions have usually made a positive impact, while Liverpool have habitually got stronger the longer matches go on.
Wearing rivals down with their incessant pressure, and capitalising when space opens up in the latter stages, Liverpool have been the best second-half team in the division by a country mile.
If the Premier League table was based on second halves only, Liverpool would be an incredible 19 points clear.
PL 24/25 table (top four) with second-half goals only
| Team | W | D | L | GD+ | Pts |
| LIV | 23 | 9 | 2 | 29 | 78 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCI | 15 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 56 |
| ARS | 14 | 12 | 8 | 15 | 54 |
| CHE | 14 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 53 |
In some respects, Slot’s light-handed touch has been his greatest strength.
The Liverpool side he inherited did not require major surgery, and he was quick to understand and recognise that.
By making only minor tweaks, and using his composed personality to good effect, Liverpool were able to make impressive progress.
Slot did not need to create a revolution to produce one of the finest debut campaigns we have seen from a Premier League head coach.
