Digging Deeper into Liverpool's 2-1 Win over Lille
Yesterday at 05:53 PM
After the Reds secure top spot in the Champions League with a game to spare, we dig into some of the winners and losers on the night.
They may have let themselves make things interesting by conceding the first chance in over an hour of play despite being a man up, but Liverpool turned the screw as and when necessary to secure their seventh straight win in this year's Champions League, besting Lille 2-1 at Anfield en route to an all but guaranteed first place in the competition's new-look group stage.
The Reds felt in full control of proceedings throughout, conceding only three shots in total, and generated enough dangerous situations — including five big chances — that a wider scoreline would have been more than appropriate, without ever moving out of second gear for more than a few minutes at a time. A Mohamed Salah lightning counter — making him the first ever Liverpool player to notch 50 goals in Europe — and a deflected Harvey Elliott strike from range was enough to put the visitors to the sword, as the Reds continued their dominant run at every competition they participate in.
With all that said, then, we provide a quick word on the winners and losers on the night.
Winners
Libpool Libpool Top of the Leagues: After seven games, Liverpool have collected seven wins in the Champions League, cruising past the reigning champions of Spain and Germany in the process. A dodgy injury time penalty non-call and subsequent counter attack at the Estádio do Sport may have ensured that Barcelona can theoretically catch the Reds in the final round of the group stage, but few would argue that Arne Slot's men aren't looking like the best team in the competition right now.
We are 33 games into Arne Slot's tenure, and it counts 26 wins, five draws and two defeats in all competitions, with a total goal differential of 79 scored to 27 conceded, and underlying numbers to match. They haven't won anything yet, as every single one of the players will be quick to remind you, but if they do, it will be incredibly well-deserved.
Rotation: A pulled Curtis Jones groin aside, this match went about as according to plan as one could have wanted, with players in need of minutes getting full run-outs, and players in need of rest getting subbed at pre-planned intervals. Slot may have relied a lot on his preferred starters this season — as he did last year at PSV — but if he can use games like these to give them a rest or enough minutes to stay in rhythm, it will stand him and his side in good stead as they approach the pointy end of the campaign.
Losers
Grundle: Curtis Jones is not built to do the splits. He did them anyway. Despite a few half-hearted efforts to keep going, the substitution felt imminent to anyone who saw the replay, and the 23-year old was indeed swapped out at half time. Hopefully it's only a minor strain and not something that will keep the Englishman out of the squad for long.
What Happens Next
The Reds host relegation strugglers Ipswich, recently battered 6-0 by Manchester City, on Saturday, a side that gave them temporary trouble before ultimately rolling over in the season opener, before they travel to Holland to take on Cody Gakpo's former club and Arne Slot's former rival PSV in the final match of the Champions League group stage.
