Arne Slot has been under more pressure than ever, which is why he tried something a little different against Inter Milan.
Liverpool did not necessarily need to beat Inter Milan due to how hard it is to get all three points at the San Siro, but they needed a better performance.
They gave the fans both, though, with Slot trying a new system that saw him play Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike up front together.
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Who was your Man of the Match during Liverpool’s brilliant 1-0 win over Inter Milan?
Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Conor Bradley celebrate after Szoboszlai scores during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan
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Although they could not combine to create a goal, there were some promising signs, and Daniel Sturridge gave them some advice that could see them recreate one of Liverpool’s best-ever partnerships.
Daniel Sturridge compares Liverpool’s new system to the one he played in alongside Luis Suarez
Sturridge was a part of one of Liverpool’s most successful partnerships in Premier League history, with his connection with Luis Suarez nothing short of sensational.
The Reds have not really played with two-up-top since then, but Slot opted to try this out with Ekitike and Isak.
FC Internazionale Milano v Liverpool FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD6
Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images
Of course, there were a few teething problems and they have not quite got the understanding between one another just yet, but Sturridge has offered them advice based on how he succeeded alongside the Uruguayan.
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“It’s building, I wouldn’t say they’re playing close together in this system, they seem to be covering a lot of ground, featuring in the wide areas,” he said on Amazon Prime.
“They’ve caused them problems, made good runs in areas in between the full-back and centre-half but they’re not playing close to each other, playing one-twos, but in a diamond you can become two individuals anyway.
“I played this system with Luis Suarez, you do end up splitting wide, and you do have individual moments, but you can be closer too.”
Sum up Liverpool’s BIG win in one word
Liverpool FT Inter Milan
BIG win for Arne Slot and Liverpool!
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Liverpool’s system could work with Florian Wirtz behind Hugo Ekitke and Alexander Isak
Although there were signs that this new system could be a success, it still looked like it was needing the creative flair of Florian Wirtz.
The German did eventually come on, but for Isak rather than leaving him, Ekitike and Wirtz all on the pitch together.
This is something Liverpool fans will be desperate to see against Brighton on Saturday, because as a trio, they could be unstoppable.
Either way, it was definitely a more reassuring Liverpool performance, even if they did not get an important win.
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