Liverpool’s 2024/25 Revival Under Slot | Tactical Evolution & Premier League Glory
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Liverpool’s 2024/25 Revival Under Slot | Tactical Evolution & Premier League Glory

May 28, 2025No Comments


Arne Slot’s debut season at Liverpool was more than just a transition; it was a transformation. 

Taking over from Jürgen Klopp and his high-octane legacy, Slot not only maintained the club’s identity but also refined it. The outcome was their 20th English league title, clinched with four games remaining, and a squad that combined tactical clarity with physical toughness.

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Defensive Renaissance 

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Liverpool’s evolution under Slot was the dramatic improvement in their defensive solidity. 

Rather than the relentless high press that characterized the Klopp era, Liverpool now choose their moments more carefully, conserving energy while maintaining their ability to win the ball in dangerous areas. 

The defensive triangle of Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, and Ryan Gravenberch as holding midfielder provided both physicality and composure. Van Dijk played every league minute, while Konaté’s injury record significantly improved under Slot’s management. 

Gravenberch’s Metamorphosis: The Unexpected Catalyst

Ryan Gravenberch epitomizes Liverpool’s tactical evolution under Slot. The Dutch midfielder has transformed from a promising but inconsistent talent into an essential part of Liverpool’s system. His development is one of the most compelling individual stories of the season.

Under Slot’s guidance, Gravenberch has discovered his optimal role as a deep-lying playmaker. 

The tactical intelligence Gravenberch displays in his positioning relative to Liverpool’s defensive line represents perhaps his most significant development. He has learned to read the game’s rhythm, knowing when to drop deeper to provide additional passing options for the center-backs and when to push higher to support attacking transitions. 

This positional awareness has allowed Liverpool to maintain possession in previously problematic areas, particularly when facing teams that press their center-backs aggressively.

The technical aspects of Gravenberch’s evolution reveal Slot’s tactical genius. Gravenberch is capable of finding forwards in advanced positions with diagonal passes that bypass multiple lines of pressure.

When Liverpool face high-pressing opponents, Gravenberch has mastered the art of the press-resistant pivot. His dribbling in tight spaces has become more purposeful, effective in drawing opponents out of position and creating space for teammates.

Alongside Alexis Mac Allister, they have formed one of the most effective central midfield partnerships in the Premier League. 

This collaboration enabled Liverpool to address the issue of lacking a top-level holding midfielder last summer without needing to make additional transfers. 

After Fabinho experienced a significant drop in fitness, Wataru Endo was unable to fully replace him during the previous season, which led to various problems for Liverpool in the central area of the pitch across all phases of the game. The pairing of Gravenberch and Mac Allister helped the Reds resolve these issues in midfield.

The Art of Build-Up: Patience Meets Purpose

One of the most noticeable changes in Liverpool’s play under Slot is their approach to building attacks from the back. Where Klopp’s teams often favored direct, vertical passes to quickly transition into attacking phases, Slot has introduced a more patient, methodical approach that maintains the team’s attacking threat while reducing unnecessary risks.

The evolution in build-up play has had a profound impact on Liverpool’s overall attacking patterns. By taking more time to construct attacks, they’ve become less predictable and more varied in their approach. 

Opponents can no longer simply sit deep and wait for Liverpool to play direct balls over the top. Instead, they must engage higher up the pitch, creating spaces that Liverpool’s technical players can exploit.

Under Slot’s system, both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson have mastered the art of tucking inside during the initial phases of possession. As a result, they create numerical superiority in central areas, forcing opposing forwards to make difficult decisions about whether to press the center-backs or track the inverted fullbacks.

Perhaps most crucially, Slot has developed Liverpool’s long-ball strategy as a tactical weapon specifically designed to exploit high-pressing situations. 

When opponents commit numbers forward to press Liverpool’s build-up, Mohamed Salah’s positioning becomes vital. The Egyptian has perfected the art of timing his runs while positioning himself to receive direct balls from the center-backs or goalkeeper, particularly when pressing forces Liverpool into difficult situations.

The Golden Quarter: October to January Brilliance

The period from October to January represented the peak of Liverpool’s evolution under Arne Slot. During these crucial months, all the tactical adjustments and squad management principles came together to produce some of the most impressive football seen at Anfield in years.

Liverpool consistently found ways to impose their tactical will, regardless of whether they faced defensive opponents who sat deep or high-pressing teams matching their intensity.

The consistency during this period demonstrated that Slot’s tactical innovations weren’t just short-term fixes but sustainable improvements to Liverpool’s playing style. The team showed they could win ugly when necessary, control games when required, and still produce moments of brilliant attacking football when the opportunity arose.

The Art of Tactical Evolution

Liverpool’s tactical adaptability manifests in several key areas. When opponents sit deep and deny space behind their defensive line, Liverpool now seamlessly shift from their typical wide attacking patterns to more central combinations, with midfielders making late runs into the box while Salah and the wingers drift inside to create overloads. 

Conversely, when facing high-pressing teams, they can quickly switch to a more direct approach, bypassing midfield congestion with longer passes to Salah or utilizing the pace of their fullbacks in wider areas.

The positional fluidity that Slot has instilled allows players to interchange roles mid-match without disrupting the team’s structural balance. 

Similarly, the fullbacks can switch between providing width in advanced positions and tucking inside to create numerical advantages in central areas, all within the same match, depending on what the tactical situation demands.

As we reflect on Liverpool’s 2024/25 campaign, it becomes clear that Slot hasn’t just maintained the standards set by his predecessor – he has elevated them. In the art of following a legend, Arne Slot has written his own compelling chapter in Liverpool’s storied history.

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