Mikel Arteta came up against Arne Slot for the first time in their respective managerial careers when Liverpool faced Arsenal in Philadelphia overnight, and the Gunners boss has already been impressed by the impact that the Dutchman has had in his first month in his new role.
The Reds triumphed 2-1 against the team who’ve been runners-up to Manchester City in the past two Premier League seasons, striking an early psychological blow as both sides look to finally dethrone Pep Guardiola’s champions.
Speaking to arsenal.com after the match at Lincoln Financial Field, the Spaniard spoke glowing about what he’s witnessed from his opposite number thus far.
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Arteta said of Liverpool: “We all have to start competing and earn our right to show how good we are but yes, the team is looking good in the games that I’ve watched in pre-season. It’s clear the idea that he wants to implement and it was a tough game for us.”
The Arsenal boss added of Slot: “There are certain differences and every coach has their touch. There are certain individuals with very particular characteristics that makes the team as well. One is the style of play and then it’s the DNA of certain players that always leave their stamp on a team. You can see what he’s doing.”
Although last night’s match was the third that Liverpool have played in pre-season (Preston and Real Betis), it felt like the one where Slot’s blueprint for this Reds team was truly launched, and it made for pleasant viewing from our perspective.
The new-found fluidity in possession is something that Arteta wouldn’t have faced previously when coming up against LFC, while the subtle interchanging of positions from a few of our players would also have kept the Gunners boss guessing.
Both of our goals were brilliantly executed and offered an exciting glimpse into what may be to come under the 45-year-old, while the team worked diligently out of possession after half-time to preserve the one-goal lead to the final whistle.
Slot could have Liverpool purring even more smoothly when they next face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in a massive Premier League showdown towards the end of October, and that is the fixture which’ll tell us a lot about where the Reds are at in relation to a positional rival at the business end of the table.
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