In the Merseyside derby at Anfield, a Liverpool win is the only result that is acceptable. Arne Slot might not have been involved in one before this week, but he knew that and the pressure was on.
After successive defeats against PSG and Newcastle before the international break — and then having to wait an age to put it right — Liverpool did eventually have the chance to get back to winning ways. Thanks to Diogo Jota’s second-half goal (that left David Moyes fuming at the officials), it did just that.
Jota starting was a bold selection decision. The Portugal striker had not scored for two and half months but fielding him paid off as he found the back of the net at the Kop End to send his team within 13 points of the Premier League title.
And going with Jota over Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa was not the only decision that Slot got spot on. In playing Curtis Jones at full-back over the safe option of Jarell Quansah, he made another eye-catching call.
“I see myself as a 10 or an eight, but at the end of the day I’m a footballer,” Jones told the BBC at the final whistle. “If I’m playing as a 10 or as an eight, or if I’m playing off the left, as a defender, I’ll go out there. I’m a lad who studies the game a lot, I take it all in. I played in an important game and I think I was alright.”
It was a typically understated comment from Jones, who did very well in the context of only having previously played once in the right-back slot — against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup. He certainly didn’t look like he had never done it before.
(Image: Getty Images)
After being sent off after the game at Goodison Park, it would have been easy to keep Jones on the bench. Even with Conor Bradley not ready yet and Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold sidelined, Quansah was the player most would have gone with.
But not Slot. He wanted the ability to keep the ball and pen Everton back in his starting XI and that is exactly what Jones delivered. It was not a spectacular performance — and Jones may never play the role again — but he more than played his part in a massively important victory.
“We understand how important all the games are now,” Jones continued. “If we can win all the games then great. Of course, there’s teams out there that are fighting for different things. First game back after the break, it’s an important win. I’m happy with that.
“It’s their style of play. They like to play a first pass and then they go long all the time. The lads up top who are bigger, stronger, fast. It was hard out there. But we came away with the win and that’s the important thing.”
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Throughout the season, Liverpool has been put forward as a club on the opposite end of the injury luck spectrum to Arsenal — at least by Gunners’ fans. Instead, though, this was another example of Slot dealing with the issue put in front of him.
Being without extensive injury problems is no accident. But when Liverpool did have three senior players who all play the same position missing, Slot found the right solution.
With an international break to stew on two tired showings, whispers were growing that Arsenal shouldn’t give up the chase just yet in the title race. Mikel Arteta’s men were not going to catch up even had Everton won at Anfield with fans inside the stadium for the first time the 90s — the Blues’ latest defeat, though, should swiftly put any anxiety to bed.
