It was a professional European away performance from Liverpool as Mohamed Salah’s second-half penalty proved to be the difference against Girona, in the UEFA Champions League.
It was three points that saw the Reds return to winning ways following the 3-3 draw with Newcastle, making it six wins from six in the League Phase.
Liverpool were rarely out of second gear across the ninety minutes, but managed to shut out a spirited Girona side.
Here, we have selected five things that caught our eye from the hard-fought victory in Catalonia.
1. FIFTY AND COUNTING FOR MOHAMED SALAH
Another day, another record for Mohamed Salah.
The winner from the penalty spot saw Salah become the first Liverpool player in UEFA Champions League history to net fifty goals, making his way into the top ten all-time scorers list.
The Egyptian has now netted more Champions League goals than Wayne Rooney, Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Harry Kane, Neymar, Didier Drogba, Thierry Henry and Luis Suarez.
Salah is also now just one short of levelling with the legendary Billy Liddell on 228 Liverpool goals, and will need just fifteen more for the remainder of this season to become the club’s third highest scorer, behind Sir Roger Hunt and Ian Rush.
We are witnessing consistent performances that are worthy of a bumper new deal. Give the man whatever he wishes.
2. ALISSON BACK LIKE HE NEVER LEFT
Alisson Becker returned to action for the first time since October and the performance level was as if he hadn’t been sidelined for almost ten weeks.
The Brazilian might’ve hoped to have had a quiet night, but it was far from that.
Liverpool’s number one was forced into five crucial stops to keep Girona at bay, and Arne Slot joked that Alisson’s teammates ‘wanted to see how fit he was’ whilst handing deserved praise to his shot-stopper.
Slot said: “Maybe his teammates wanted to make sure he is really fit to give him a lot of work.”
“I don’t think everyone needed him to show it because everyone knows he is the best goalkeeper in the world. He was important for us with so many saves.”
Alisson also equalled Pepe Reina’s record of the most clean sheets by a Liverpool goalkeeper in the Champions League era, with 21.
Buisness as usual for the world’s best ‘keeper.
3. SLOT CONTINUES TO SET HIGH STANDARDS
Despite his side’s 1-0 victory, Arne Slot wasn’t overly impressed with the performance as a whole, suggesting that standards must vastly improve if Liverpool are to go far in the competition.
Slot said: “”I agree that games you don’t play well you have to win, but you cannot concede so many chances. Our standards have to go up if we want to achieve something in this competition.”
He continued, “Although they [Girona] have a very good game idea, there will be teams that are even better than this. If you come up with this intensity we had today, then on another day you concede 2-3 goals.”
Stern words from the boss that show no room for complacency in his team. Love it.
4. WATERTIGHT AT THE BACK
The Reds’ strong efforts in defence were rewarded with a fifth-consecutive clean sheet in the Champions League.
Girona created a host of chances that looked to threaten the Liverpool back-line, but came to no avail.
They mainly had Alisson Becker to thank, with the Brazilian making five saves to deny the hosts from becoming the first side to score past the Reds, since AC Milan on opening night.
This was also the first time that a back five of Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson had started together in 656 days – a 5-2 home defeat to Real Madrid in the 2022-23 Champions League.
Another clean sheet highlighted the hard work that Arne Slot has done in making Liverpool a much tougher team to beat.
Twelve clean sheets with the same amount of goals conceded in just twenty-two matches, should not be swept under the carpet.
5. ROOM FOR ROTATION
Liverpool’s sixth successive Champions League victory now means that top-eight qualification and a last-sixteen place is surely guaranteed.
The Reds have breathing space in the competition having continued their one-hundred per-cent winning record, the only team to do so.
As it stands, Liverpool hold a five-point lead over second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, but there remains one more night of nine fixtures on Wednesday.
Rotation will prove key if Arne Slot’s side have dreams of silverware this season and with the busy schedule around Christmas and New Year, the remaining two league-phase fixtures against LOSC Lille and PSV Eindhoven will be seen as perfect opportunities to give more fringe players a chance, resting key men as a result.
Liverpool make a return to league action on Saturday, hosting Fulham at Anfield.
The Cottagers have proved tough opposition for Manchester City and Arsenal already this season, so Arne Slot’s post-match comments must be acted upon, if the four-point lead at the top of the Premier League is to stay, whilst having a game in hand on those below.
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