Why Arne Slot’s Liverpool still have a lot to learn about each other – Rafa Benitez

We don’t know yet how this Liverpool side will react to adversity under Slot, but I have been impressed by what I have seen so far.

Just because they have not been behind for very long in any of their games, does not mean they have not reacted and changed things during them, either.

As well as watching them against Chelsea for MOTD2 last weekend, I was at San Siro as a Uefa technical observer to see their Champions League win over AC Milan in September. Both times, they were very competitive.

They have been playing with great intensity all these years under Jurgen Klopp and it is very difficult to alter that straight away. Also, as Slot has said himself, it would be crazy to change it immediately.

So, he is keeping the good things Klopp had and, at the same time, he is giving them a little bit of defensive balance and organisation, which allows him to change their approach when he needs to.

Against Chelsea they were dropping off a little bit more, but they can still press high. Similarly, they can play penetrating passes forward, or they can use the wide areas and attack with the wingers overlapping.

Slot is giving the team more tools, to be sure they can react and adjust depending on the opponent – or so they can impose their own way to play, because if they are much better than the other team they can control possession in the opposition half, and try to find ways to create chances.

Overall, I think they have more balance and if they can continue to carry a threat in attack then we have already seen that they don’t concede too many goals. Put that together, and it is the key to being successful.

They are definitely on the right path, and in a good place to go to the Emirates on Sunday. Beating Arsenal will be a good challenge and a difficult test, but I think they have the belief that they can do it, and that is the main thing.