Liverpool achieved their second victory in two friendlies under new coach Arne Slot, beating Arsenal 2-1 in front of a historic sell-out crowd in Philadelphia.
At first, the Reds struggled to apply Slotte’s more planned technique to Arsenal’s relentless pressure, giving the ball away several times deep in the 3rd defensive and in the end they were lucky not to fall behind.
But the first-half scoreline came from the wingers, when Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho exchanged a pair of brilliant Harvey Elliott balls to build a decisive two-goal run in 33 minutes. Kai Havertz halved the deficit, winning a confusing The game ended in front of goal, but the Gunners failed to equalise despite controlled play in the second half.
Here are the winners and losers of Wednesday’s friendly.
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Harvey Elliott returns to midfield
Liverpool’s tantalizing young star sent Reds fans into a frenzy on his return to midfield on Wednesday, unlocking Arsenal’s backline with a pair of brilliant passes. His early involvement facilitated a quick Liverpool counter-attack, taking advantage of Diogo Jota’s excellent play and launching a perfectly weighted ball to meet the quick diagonal run of Salah, who continued to outrun the Gunner defense and bury a left-footed shot.
Elliott regained ownership at the top of the penalty pitch 20 minutes later and delivered a brilliant chipped ball to Fabio Carvalho. With acres of dominance on the edge of goal, the left winger buried his attempted volley into the back corner before spotting Elliott with a quick hug.
The 21-year-old was nameless in Liverpool’s opener and joined Dominik Szoboszlai to form an unorthodox centre-forward duo. Elliott has spoken publicly about Slot’s difficult transition into management, and Wednesday’s presentation highlighted his adaptability and trust in the Dutch coach.
“It’s very difficult,” Elliott told Liverpool. com. You know, it’s an absolutely different taste of play, an absolutely different tactical taste, but that’s what happens in football. You have to adapt, you have to be informed. “
Dominik Szoboszlai: Liverpool’s savior in defensive midfield?
Szoboszlai has dropped a point more than his former strike partner and has joined Curtis Jones as Liverpool’s second defensive midfielder, with the importance of those double pivots in Slots’ formula evident in the Reds’ second friendly. While Szoboszlai has appeared in the No. 8 since arriving at Anfield last summer, he was brilliant in a deeper role on Wednesday night and can fill a noticeable hole in Liverpool’s squad.
The Hungarian team owned and showed their defensive talent from the start, cutting off a tough Arsenal move from the left wing with an interception. Szoboszlai’s brilliant technical ability allowed Liverpool to score the stunning second goal later in the half, surviving a strong first touch to beat Martin Odegaard and slot Harvey Elliott into the most sensitive part of the area.
Hungarian national team boss Marco Rossi has said in the past that defensive midfield may be Szoboszlai’s most productive position and that brighter performances in the double pivot may ease Liverpool fans’ anxiety over the transfer market. of the club.
A Premier League crowd in Philadelphia
Wednesday’s match between two Premier League giants featured a crowd worthy of the occasion, with 69,879 supporters – the largest crowd ever seen in a football stadium at the Eagles’ stadium – filling each and every stadium to capacity. seats at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Liverpool’s iconic song ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ was blasted in the first half and many of the clubs’ most recognizable chants can be heard 3,500 miles away.
Plenty of exuberant American taste combined with those rich English traditions, as a small fireworks display enveloped kick-off in a cloud of smoke and more pyrotechnics introduced from the roof after the goal. A brief minute’s silence was also observed on Wednesday for the mass stabbing in Southport that killed three children.
Near disaster for Caoimhin Kelleher
While many Liverpool players have expressed increasing difficulties in handling Slot and more planned preparation, few seem more concerned than Kelleher. The young goalkeeper almost established himself as the first undisputed loser of the night when his first pass attempt was intercepted. an Arsenal before safely walking away for a shot on goal.
Kelleher had many unpleasant moments in ownership and distribution, but he made two very important contributions that cemented Liverpool’s victory. His well-placed 50-yard ball to Jota was one of only two passes of Liverpool’s quick opening move, while a very important second half. The save helped the Reds take a narrow 2-1 lead.
More defensive problems for Oleksandr Zinchenko
Zinchenko has struggled to assuage Arsenal fans’ concerns about the Ukrainian’s defensive woes, allowing Salah to push Liverpool’s attack down the right flank on several occasions. He was exposed in Liverpool’s first quick goal, unable to keep up with the Egyptian’s run from midfield and eventually outclassed by several Arsenal players.
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