Arne Slot managed to silence critics following Liverpool's deserved win against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, Reds expert David Lynch has insisted.
The Merseysiders arrived into the midweek clash having beaten Aston Villa 2-0 on Saturday, but they had lost six of their prior seven games in all competitions.
Despite the team's poor form, Slot managed to guide his side to a 1-0 win, but the Reds would have won by a bigger margin had Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois not performed exceptionally in goal.
Lynch praised Slot for his tactical approach against Madrid, and expressed his view that the Dutchman should still be considered amongst the best, when he told Sports Mole: "In this run that Liverpool have been on, with six defeats in seven before the Real game, there were a few calls for the manager's head.
"I've been on social media, and I know you can't always use that as a barometer, but it showed you the pressure he was under. People were suggesting that a manager who won the league in his first season was getting things completely wrong, that he'd lost his ability as a manager, or he's riding on Jurgen Klopp's coattail.
"What you've seen in the last two games against Villa, and Real Madrid in particular because of how elite they are, is that he is still an elite manager. He still knows what he's doing because in terms of team selection, set-up, tactics, everything - Liverpool were absolutely spot-on in these games."
Liverpool's performances this season have been poor, even in matches that they had won, but their display on Tuesday was arguably their best of 2025-26, and Slot deserves credit for getting more from his players.
David Lynch YouTube image
How did Arne Slot get the better of Real Madrid in Champions League win?
Slot has been criticised for much of the current campaign, with detractors arguing that he has been unable to get the most out of his squad despite having numerous stars at his disposal.
The Dutchman spoke in the aftermath of the victory against Real about his change in style, revealing that he instructed his players to only press high or defend in a low block, saying that a mid block would have given the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior the space to run in behind.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch praised the manager's tactical acumen against Real and Villa, saying: "They were coming up against one of the best teams in Europe, a team that's going to definitely threaten in this competition as they do every season, and they had won 13 and lost one.
"Real had a pretty impressive record, but Liverpool didn't just beat them, they absolutely demolished them. The margin of victory should have been greater in Liverpool's favour because the performance from minute one to minute 90 was just dominant.
"They didn't give much up at all in terms of chances, they created chance after chance themselves and if the game had finished 3-0, Real Madrid couldn't have had any complaints whatsoever. You've got to give huge credit to the manager and the way he's come out of this difficult situation that the team found themselves in."
Liverpool only accumulated 39% possession against Real, but they limited their Spanish opponents to just two shots on target, whereas the Reds produced four big chances and nine shots on target.
Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister and Hugo Ekitike pictured on November 4, 2025
Will Liverpool finish in the top eight and qualify for the round of 16?
The victory on Tuesday means Liverpool are sixth with nine points from 12 in the Champions League table, and given 16 points was enough to finish in the top eight and qualify automatically for the round of 16 last term, the Merseysiders can likely afford to drop points in two of their final four league phase games.
Liverpool still have to play PSV Eindhoven and Qarabag at home, as well as Inter Milan and Marseille on the road, in their remaining European fixtures.
Lynch spoke of his confidence that the Reds would secure a placement in the top eight following their win against Real, telling Sports Mole: "With the games that Liverpool have got left, you'd think there were enough points on the board there for them to qualify [even if they lost against Real Madrid], but a loss would have added huge pressure.
"They lost against Galatasaray, but they've made up for it by beating Real Madrid at home. Liverpool have got the points on board and now it's evened itself out a bit, and the games they've got remaining now - obviously Inter away is a tough one - are very winnable.
"I'd expect with what they've got left that they would comfortably end up in that top eight, particularly as the performances seem to be going in the right direction, which suggest that they will play to their potential in their remaining games."
Liverpool will not play again in the Champions League until November 26 against PSV, but they should be confident of reaching the round of 16 without the need to participate in a playoff tie.
> Click here to listen to the full discussion on how Arne Slot answered his critics on Tuesday against Real Madrid
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