Arne Slot Made an Interesting Tweak in Liverpool’s 1-0 Victory Over Everton Liverpool took a huge step towards the Premier League title with a 1-0 victory over their nearest rivals Everton in the Merseyside Derby. It was a tight game, but a dazzling second-half goal from Diogo Jota was enough to secure the three points […]

The post Analysis: Arne Slot’s ‘Genius’ Tactical Tweak Against Everton Could be a Sign of What’s to Come at Liverpool appeared first on anfieldindex.com.

Liverpool took a huge step towards the Premier League title with a 1-0 victory over their nearest rivals Everton in the Merseyside Derby. It was a tight game, but a dazzling second-half goal from Diogo Jota was enough to secure the three points for Arne Slot’s side.

The victory restores Liverpool’s 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League table with just eight games to go. Four more wins is all that is needed for Slot’s men and they’re currently on track to seal the title against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday 27th April.

Photo: IMAGO Winning at all Costs

We’re now at the point of the season where it’s not necessarily about how you win your games, you just have to find ways to do so and Liverpool have been doing that all season.

However, there was one hugely intriguing aspect of Slot’s starting lineup that happens to be incredibly relevant at the moment. That was, of course, the decision to play midfielder Curtis Jones at right-back in place of the injured Conor Bradley and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Centre-back Jarell Quansah had filled in for the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United at Wembley, but Jones was the preferred choice against Everton.

It was a gritty performance from the Reds but one that often resembles true champions, but Jones was certainly one of the standout players with a little bit of help from Slot himself.

Photo: IMAGO Slot’s Tactical Tweak

Nobody expected Jones to be able to match Trent Alexander-Arnold’s creativity and passing range or Conor Bradley’s explosive runs and crunching tackles and neither did Slot. Instead the local lad picked up a completely different role, vaguely similar stylistically to how Eduardo Camavinga sometimes slots in at left-back for Real Madrid.

On the ball, Liverpool were still finding Jones in gaps that he would usually take up in his usual midfield position rather than at right-back. Ryan Gravenberch played a huge role in making this happen, especially in the first-half.

Photo: IMAGO

The Dutchman was almost playing as a right-back himself in the build-up phase, giving Jones time to take up threatening positions close to Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai further up the pitch. You can almost think of it as giving a head start to Jones, who lacks the explosiveness to make those runs from deep like Bradley.

Off the ball, Jones was more of your natural right-back and was mostly asked to deal with long-balls at the back post, which he did with ease thanks to his incredible first touch.

Photo: IMAGO Looking Ahead

Now, no one is expecting Jones to be a solid option at right-back going into next season when Trent Alexander-Arnold’s reported move to Real Madrid will likely be confirmed. But, the point still stands – it’s impossible to replace Trent.

Liverpool are far more likely to find a new style of right-back that can complement and rotate with Bradley and that player will almost certainly not be Jones but we may have seen some slight hints at what we could expect from Slot next season.

Names like Jeremie Frimpong, Martim Fernandes and even former Red Neco Williams have all been linked with a move to Anfield, but I think we could be set for a few surprises in that position.

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Taylor Swift was also seen leaving the venue after her Anfield Eras Tour shows

Taylor Swift was also seen leaving the venue after her Anfield Eras Tour shows

Virgil van Dijk reflects on Wednesday night's 246th Merseyside derby as Liverpool beat Everton 1-0 at Anfield

Virgil van Dijk reflects on Wednesday night's 246th Merseyside derby as Liverpool beat Everton 1-0 at Anfield

Liverpool marked their return to the Premier League with a 1-0 win over rivals Everton

Liverpool marked their return to the Premier League with a 1-0 win over rivals Everton

Liverpool Grind Out Vital Win Over Everton in Heated Anfield Derby In a pulsating Merseyside derby that had more chaos than cohesion, Liverpool edged Everton 1-0 at Anfield, a result that keeps Arne Slot’s men on course for the Premier League title. It wasn’t pretty. In fact, as Dave Hendrick bluntly summarised on Post Match […]

The post Slot’s Side Earn Narrow Win Over Everton Despite Officiating Drama appeared first on anfieldindex.com.

In a pulsating Merseyside derby that had more chaos than cohesion, Liverpool edged Everton 1-0 at Anfield, a result that keeps Arne Slot’s men on course for the Premier League title. It wasn’t pretty. In fact, as Dave Hendrick bluntly summarised on Post Match Raw, “Derbies are rarely a good game to watch…they’re horrible, grindy, nasty games.” But make no mistake — these were three massive points.

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Midfield Malaise and Momentum Killers

The first half was a sluggish affair, typified by a Liverpool midfield that couldn’t shift gears. Hendrick was searing in his criticism: “The midfield just ruined the momentum…two, three, four, sometimes five touches and then a sterile pass.” He lamented the lack of urgency, calling out the recurring sideways and backwards passes that suffocated the tempo.

Hari Sethi echoed the sentiment, pointing to the absence of the “instructions on the pass” that players like Thiago and Steven Gerrard once delivered with aplomb. “There was a real lack of that in the first half… quite inconvenient passes killing moves, killing momentum,” he said.

Mo Salah was notably stifled. As Hendrick observed, “We weren’t getting the ball to Salah in stride…he was having to get the ball to feet, stand Mykolenko up, and then try and run him.” Against a packed Everton block, Liverpool were reduced to hope over strategy.

Photo: IMAGO Gravenberch Unlocks the Door, Jota Seals It

Things changed after the break. Slot’s side looked more assertive and, crucially, more direct. The goal came in the 56th minute, and the build-up finally showed purpose. “The goal comes from us moving them around and trying to pass the ball centrally,” Hendrick noted, highlighting the increased intent.

It was Ryan Gravenberch’s ball in — sharper than anything he produced in the first half — that sparked the move. Luis Díaz’s clever flick found Diogo Jota, who sat down the defender with a dummy and finished emphatically. “A really nicely finished goal… Jota scored this goal a few times,” said Hendrick. It was redemption for a forward criticised pre-match for his lack of form but praised here for intelligent movement and a decisive finish.

Referee Catastrophe Overshadows Rivalry

Much of the post-match analysis was dominated by the officials. Sam Barrott’s performance was labelled “a strong contender for the worst refereeing performance this league has ever seen” by Hendrick, while Sethi didn’t hold back either, calling the non-red card for Tarkowski’s wild lunge “an outrageous decision… a leg breaker.”

Trev Downey summed up the farcical officiating: “Only two people in the world thought that tackle was just a yellow — the referee and Paul Tierney on VAR.” The fury stemmed not just from the missed red, but from baffling yellow cards for Jota and Nunez, and an ignored penalty shout when Pickford clattered into Darwin.

“The ball is dead or not — that’s violent conduct,” fumed Hendrick, describing Pickford’s late challenge on Nunez. “It is knee height, dangerous, violent play.” The refereeing became a subplot in its own right, overshadowing the football at times.

Signs of Grit, If Not Brilliance

Despite the tension, Liverpool’s second-half control was a standout. “They dominated the ball…you saw Virgil in that second half, right up for it,” said Sethi, who also praised Curtis Jones’ defensive shift and the midfield’s improved composure.

As ugly as it was, this was a professional win. “It doesn’t matter how we get those points, as long as we get them,” said Hendrick, reducing the title chase to cold arithmetic: 13 points from the final stretch, regardless of what Arsenal do.

The final whistle saw Pickford time-wasting while losing, Diaz hounded by three defenders for 90 minutes, and Arne Slot celebrating with the kind of restrained fist-pump that belied the nerves of the night.

In short, it was a derby win drenched in attrition and soaked in frustration — just the way it often is. But as Sethi put it best, “Room for error gets smaller and smaller for the chasing pack.” Liverpool, battered and bruised, march on.

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Английская ассоциация профессиональных арбитров (PGMOL) признала, что защитник «Эвертона» Джеймс Тарковски должен был быть удалён с поля за фол на полузащитнике «Ливерпуля» Алексисе Мак Аллистере в матче 30-го тура АПЛ.

Liverpool and Everton were both left outraged with the officials following their Merseyside derby showdown at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Liverpool and Everton were both left outraged with the officials following their Merseyside derby showdown at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Diogo Jota’s controversial goal was allowed to stand despite his Liverpool teammate Luis Diaz straying into an offside position

Diogo Jota’s controversial goal was allowed to stand despite his Liverpool teammate Luis Diaz straying into an offside position

Should Luis Diaz's goal for Liverpool have been ruled out for offside? Joe Hart explains why - by the letter of the law - the goal was legitimate, but frustrating all the same.

Арне Слот принял признание ошибки судьи после дерби «Ливерпуль» – «Эвертон.

На 11-й минуте матча АПЛ «Ливерпуль» – «Эвертон» (1:0) защитник гостей Джеймс Тарковски в попытке догнать мяч шипами попал в ногу полузащитнику «красных» Алексису Мак Аллистеру. Главный арбитр матча Сэмюэл Барретт показал англичанину желтую карточку. Затем он просмотрел повтор эпизода при помощи ВАР, но не изменил свое первоначальное решение.

Впоследствии PGMOL, судейская организация Англии, признала неудаление Тарковски ошибочным.

«Думаю, признавать ошибки, если вы думаете, что совершили их, – это всегда хорошо. Все мы знаем, что в футболе случаются ошибки – их делаю и я, и судьи.

Хорошо, что они признали ошибку. Но я думаю, это было очевидно – об этом говорил и я, и множество экспертов, не симпатизирующих «Ливерпулю». Давайте двигаться дальше», – сказал главный тренер «Ливерпуля».

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VAR was front and centre at Anfield on Wednesday night as Everton captain James Tarkowski escaped a red card against cross-city rivals Liverpool.

VAR was front and centre at Anfield on Wednesday night as Everton captain James Tarkowski escaped a red card against cross-city rivals Liverpool.

Moments you may not have spotted during Liverpool's Premier League clash with Everton on Wednesday evening