Liverpool vs Chelsea: A Season to Salvage
Arne Slot walked into the media room at Kirkby with a season to salvage and a squad slowly piecing itself back together. Liverpool face Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday lunchtime, a fixture that once looked like a straight fight for Champions League football. Chelsea’s collapse – six defeats on the spin – has stripped it of that edge, but not of its weight.
For Liverpool, this is about securing their place at Europe’s top table and clawing back a little pride from a Premier League campaign that has drifted badly.
Injuries: Alisson and Salah “very, very close”
The headline news surrounded the treatment room. Slot confirmed that Alexander Isak trained with the squad again on Thursday, his first session back, and will be involved in some capacity if he comes through Friday’s work.
“Alex trained with us again yesterday for the first time. All good,” Slot said, explaining that the forward completed parts of the session and is being monitored to see “how much we are going to use him.”
There was encouragement in goal as well. Giorgi Mamardashvili is due to train fully for the first time today and could return to the squad almost immediately. Alisson, though, is not yet back with the group, while Mohamed Salah is edging right alongside him in the final stages of his recovery.
“Alisson not yet, Giorgi today for first time. Mo is very very close like Ali,” Slot outlined, drawing a clear line between those almost ready and those still waiting.
Ibrahima Konaté missed Wednesday’s session for personal reasons but has since returned. Florian, who had been unwell, is also back in training.
One notable absentee remains: Conor Bradley. The full-back is still working indoors and remains some way off.
“In the rehab it's always important if some steps go well,” Slot said. “He's still inside and working really hard but he is quite far away from going outside, that makes it quite complicated to tell” when he might return.
Vulnerability, control and the search for balance
Liverpool’s season has been defined by fine margins turning against them. Slot did not pretend otherwise. He acknowledged that his side have been exposed in several areas, including on the counter-attack, even if the numbers are not catastrophic.
“In moments we have been vulnerable at counter-attacks. Not like we've conceded loads,” he said. “At Manchester we conceded two. But that's not the only thing we've been vulnerable at. There are too many we have been at moments.”
The remedy, in his eyes, starts at the other end of the pitch.
“It would help if we scored more goals. Easier to control a game at 1-0 up than 1-0 down or 1-1,” he said. “It's very clear and obvious where we have to improve, it's something we've tried to address throughout the season with ups and downs and will be something we will look at in the summer, first in the market then the training ground.”
The theme is consistent: Liverpool rarely stumble into wins. They have to play well to get them.
“Usually goes hand in hand, good performance leads to results,” Slot said of the final three league games. “We have shown this season we need a good performance to get results. The opposite has happened where we've had good performances and not a good result, and we've not often had a bad performance and a good result.”
Confidence hit by a bruising league campaign
The league table has weighed heavily. Slot did not try to dress that up either.
“It always weighs heavy on players if you lose more games than you would want, especially at a club like this. These players are used to winning,” he admitted. “We haven't had a very good season in the Premier League but we've played better and not got the points we should have.”
Europe has been a different story. Slot pointed to the Champions League as evidence that the team’s level has not collapsed.
“In the Champions League we played to our standard. Over two games, no club has been able to beat PSG in the last two years,” he said, still clearly irritated by a key decision. “We could have gone close at Anfield if VAR hadn't overturned an award (of a penalty) it usually doesn't.”
That sense of injustice has not masked the reality of the domestic campaign. Slot knows three wins to close the season will not wipe the slate clean.
“This season has been gone in a way that even if we have three wins and positive performances, I don't think anyone will be positive about the season,” he said. “It's important we get at least one win over the line which might be enough. Three wins won't silence the criticism. Therefore we need to have a much longer run of result and performances.”
Mentality, bonding and a squad in flux
Slot pushed back at the idea that Liverpool’s mentality has eroded with the gradual break-up of the side that once won the Champions League and racked up 99 points in the Premier League.
“There's a difference between bonding and mentality,” he said. “When it comes to bonding it makes sense players who have had 6, 7, 8 years together have stronger than new players coming together.”
The mental side, he insists, is not about age.
“For me mentality has nothing to do with age. When Mo was 26 and these players were in their prime they won CL and got PL with 99 points,” he pointed out, before referencing a modern benchmark. “Recently we have quite good example of players who aren't that old at PSG but have the standards to win a game with 11 players attacking and defending together. It's more about the personality of the player than the age.”
He believes Liverpool still have plenty of those personalities and accepts that, where they don’t, the transfer market will have to provide them.
Another transition – but not a revolution
The word “transition” has hung over Liverpool for two seasons. Slot did not shy away from it. He expects more change, but nothing like the upheaval of last summer.
“There will probably be another little transition but not as drastic as last year,” he said. One player is likely to be replaced by Kostas Tsimikas, who is returning from loan, hinting at a defensive reshuffle without spelling it out.
Is he worried by the prospect of another reset? Not at all, he insisted.
“I'm only looking forward to it so I'm not worried at all. As I looked forward to working with these players two years ago and one year ago. As a manager you're never worried, you're just looking forward to working with players.”
Chelsea test and a clear identity
Attention now turns to Chelsea, a side that has lurched from manager to manager but still carries serious individual threat. Liverpool expect the London club to be stronger at Anfield than in recent weeks, with several players due back.
“If our information is correct then they will have a few players back to make them stronger. That will be massive for them,” Slot said. “Always a difficult game for both teams. Lot of very good individual players, let's hope we have a very good team performance as well.”
He sees a clearer idea under the current head coach, whose approach reminds him of Enzo Maresca’s style.
“All managers have their own idea about football, they've had three this season. Current manager is closer to what Maresca usually did, so has a very clear identity how they play. Clear what to expect. Usually three centre-backs.”
So Liverpool know what is coming. A back three, dangerous individuals, and a wounded side desperate to stop the rot.
For Slot, this is the penultimate Anfield outing of a difficult league season, a chance to secure Champions League qualification and to send a different message. Not that the storm has passed. But that, with key players returning and another controlled transition ahead, Liverpool still intend to set the standard rather than chase it.
