The second part of John Aldridge's ECHO column looks ahead to Wednesday night's Champions League clash with PSV
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 17: Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, looks on with his staff prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC and Atletico de Madrid at Anfield on September 17, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Arne Slot looks on with his staff prior to the Champions League match between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid at Anfield on September 17, 2025
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The return of the Champions League on Wednesday night has come at a good time for Arne Slot and his Liverpool players. Six defeats in seven Premier League games tell its own story and the champions are faring much better in Europe, where they are aiming to win their fourth in five when PSV Eindhoven come to Anfield.
The revamped European Cup suits Slot's style at the moment. Clearly the issues have been exacerbated by an inability to deal with the more direct, physical and robust approaches of so many in England's top flight in the last three months.
But on the continent, it's generally been easier for Liverpool's best players to get on the ball and make things happen. I
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t's no surprise or coincidence that the most positive results in recent weeks - against Eintracht Frankfurt, Aston Villa and Real Madrid - have all come against sides who have tried to play their way through Slot's team.
Two of those wins, of course, have been in the Champions League.
The European style in general is more open and that means there are gaps to exploit and less chance of teams going direct and trying to pick up the second balls, which has been a real weak point for the Reds of late.
Liverpool know from last year's experience that winning the group stage means little in terms of benefits for the knockout stages, so as long as they find themselves in the top eight when the music stops then they are In good shape.
The Premier League title has long gone for my money, there have been too many defeats already and they aren't going to go on the sort of unbeaten run that will put pressure on an Arsenal side who now have an 11-point lead over them at the moment.
So you have to look elsewhere for what might be possible and we're still more than a few weeks away from the FA Cup arriving on the agenda.
Having said that about the disappointing league form, the Champions League could still be a magical campaign for Slot and his players, so let's hope this is the start of the turnaround against a team who we 'owe one' to after January's defeat in Holland.
Slot needs to start somewhere, so a good, strong showing in the Champions League will at least be a step in the right direction.
A slip-up is unthinkable.