How Arne Slot revitalised Mohamed Salah in Liverpool's thrashing of Galatasaray

Arne Slot’s job wasn’t on the line on Wednesday night but defeat by Galatasaray wouldn’t have been looked upon favourably in his end of season review. The Reds had been given one of the kinder draws in Europe, especially with the second leg being at Anfield.

The pressure was on the hosts to perform after a disappointing week or so. The reigning Premier League champions had lost to bottom-of-the-table Wolves, suffered a 1-0 defeat in Istanbul before surrendering a 1-0 lead in stoppage time to Spurs last time out at Anfield.

The draw with Igor Tudor’s side left them two points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and just four points clear of seventh-placed Brentford. Coincidentally, Liverpool have to face both of those teams, as well as third-placed Manchester United, sixth-placed Chelsea and eighth-placed Everton before the end of the season.

The Reds are in a precarious position in the Premier League. Every game is a must-not-lose. It means that every game in the Champions League is a must-win.

That started with Galatasaray.

After resting players on Sunday, Slot made some big decisions. Jeremie Frimpong started at right-back having played as a right winger against Spurs. Dominik Szoboszlai was restored to midfield having been sacrificed at right-back on Sunday. Cody Gakpo dropped to the bench with Hugo Ekitike leading the line. When initially announced, the expectation was that the Dutch manager would use the tried and tested 4-2-3-1 formation with Florian Wirtz on the left and Mohamed Salah on the right. The former Feyenoord boss had other ideas though.

Liverpool lined up in a 4-2-2-2 shape with Salah partnering Ekitike in attack. Wirtz then played behind the pair coming in from the left while Szoboszlai did the same on the opposite flank. What made this work, however, was the fact the full-backs held the width.

For the majority of the campaign, every tweak in attack has come at the expense of something else, somewhere else. Liverpool started to push Milos Kerkez higher up the pitch in December but that was around the time Szoboszlai was in on the right wing and Joe Gomez was at right-back. When Frimpong was a little higher earlier on in the season, Kerkez tucked inside to make it a back three in possession. Up until the game against Galatasaray, Slot was reluctant to properly commit to a fully-fledged attacking team.

Against the Turkish champions though, with Liverpool needing a win, Slot finally released the handbrake.

He was rewarded for it. Liverpool romped to a 4-0 win. They amassed an expected goals total of 4.88, carving out eight big chances and finishing the game with an open-play xG haul of 3.85. It was total and utter domination.

There are a few reasons for this. The opposition weren’t the greatest. Liverpool needed a win. The Reds had home advantage and the superior individuals. All of that is true. But the biggest contributing factor was Slot’s decision to use the players at his disposal in positions that suited their strengths.

For the majority of the season, Salah has been used as a right winger. Not an inside forward, but an out-and-out winger, glued to the touchline and receiving the ball in unfavourable situations. Against Galatasaray, he was a lot more central.

And the Egyptian worked in tandem with Ekitike in attack. They played like a true strike pairing. When one peeled left, the other peeled right. They looked to occupy as many of the back four as possible to create space for team-mates. The above still ends with Wirtz sliding a pass into Salah who tested the goalkeeper with one of his seven shots.

This move ends with Salah sliding a pass across goal for Ekitike to score. Look at the positioning of the two strikers. The No11 is occupying the left-back and the left-sided centre-back. The No22 is keeping the right-back and the right-sided centre-back busy. It gives Alexis Mac Allister a lot of space in behind the midfield.

This move ends with Wirtz flicking a pass through to Salah. His half volley is repelled by the goalkeeper and falls to Ryan Gravenberch who guides the ball into the net. But, again, look at the positioning of the players. Frimpong and Kerkez are wide. Ekitike and Salah are occupying the best part of four players and Wirtz has space ahead of the defence. It’s picture perfect.

It suited the attackers. Salah finished with an xG total of 2.24 and an expected assists total of 0.5 having created two big chances. Wirtz created a match-high eight chances, had an xA of 1.02 and attempted six dribbles. Ekitike claimed a goal and carved out two big chances. It’s really no coincidence that Liverpool looked particularly rampant when their three main attackers were all so heavily involved in final-phase actions.

While this shape can’t be the blueprint for the remainder of the season, there do have to be some non-negotiables. If Liverpool are to end the season well, the full-backs need to be utilised properly and allowed to get high and wide when the Reds are in possession. Everything needs to go through Wirtz, too. When he’s on the ball, something happens. The most important thing though is for Salah to be used centrally. If he’s isolated on the wing, he’s a non-entity. When he’s allowed to play closer to goal, he’s still one of the greatest threats in the Premier League.

This season can be salvaged. There are two trophies up for grabs and there’s no reason third place can’t be claimed in the Premier League. This game cannot be another false dawn for Slot and his players. It needs to mean something.

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