In a high-stakes Champions League game, the Liverpool head coach got his tactics perfect against Marseille and Roberto De Zerbi as the Reds won 3-0 and took a huge step towards automatic qualification.
06:00, 22 Jan 2026
Arne Slot celebrates with Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch
Arne Slot deserves credit for his tactical approach against Marseille, as Liverpool won 3-0(Image: )
If Arne Slot had any doubt about the pressure he is under as Liverpool head coach, Tuesday’s pre-match media duties in Marseille provided an uncomfortable reminder.
The Dutchman, understandably, bristled at a toe-curling question about Xabi Alonso in his press conference ahead of the Champions League clash in France, and then was taken aback when asked by TNT Sports if he needed to restore some faith with Liverpool fans. On both occasions, Slot responded by reflecting on what he has achieved in the last 18 months at Anfield.
That glorious spring afternoon when Liverpool secured a 20th league title now feels a long time, though. The subsequent decline - not all of which should be pinned solely on Slot - has led some to doubt whether he has the credentials needed to steer Liverpool towards silverware once again.
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Therefore, Wednesday’s performance in Marseille was the perfect response. Slot couldn’t have wished for a more effective game plan to outsmart an opposition head coach he hailed as one of the world’s best before the game.
Perhaps there was a sense of killing Roberto De Zerbi with kindness. Certainly, the goodwill ended abruptly when the referee’s whistle blew. That Slot, a coach who prides himself on his attacking principles, talked up De Zerbi’s attacking philosophy and then executed an almost flawless counter-attacking display, was a move laced with devilment.
If De Zerbi truly is an elite tactician - a view shared by Pep Guardiola - then this encounter showed how Slot, at his best, belongs in that bracket too.
He perfectly anticipated Marseille’s approach, with the Ligue 1 outfit opting to stretch the pitch, bait the press and then look to surge forward rapidly. In response, Slot altered his shape, setting up with a 4-2-2-2 system that allowed Liverpool to retain numbers in the middle and then spring forward into the space created by De Zerbi’s expansive tactics.
Roberto De Zerbi
Arne Slot claimed in Tuesday's press conference that Roberto De Zerbi is among the world's best coaches(Image: )
Against Marseille’s open midfield, Liverpool’s remained compact. The four central players timed their runs to perfection into the chasm created by the advancing white shirts. Marseille controlled possession, managing 550 passes, while the Reds completed fewer than 400, and favoured quick, vertical passes - a trait largely absent in recent weeks.
There were early warning signs when Hugo Ekitike poked home while standing marginally offside, but Marseille did not heed that threat. After Dominik Szoboslai handed Liverpool the advantage in the dying embers of the first half, two dynamic, penetrative attacks provided further goals in the second period.
Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli inadvertently prodded the ball into his own goal after Jeremie Frimpong’s remarkable foray down the right, and then in injury-time, Cody Gakpo swept the ball home to finish off a sublime break.
Critics will point to how Marseille’s open nature mirrored that of Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion this season, sides Slot has readily admitted Liverpool enjoyed facing in comparison to the low-block, long-ball style he has found so vexing. But that should not take away from Slot’s clinical approach.
Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates Liverpool goal
Szoboszlai's free-kick handed Liverpool the lead just before half-time(Image: Getty Images)
In truth, it could have been more than 3-0. Ekitike hit the bar, Florian Wirtz forced Rulli into a smart save as he shone again, while, back in the team, Mohamed Salah should have made his late effort count.
Fresh from his exploits with Egypt, this was Salah’s first Liverpool start since the disastrous defeat to PSV Eindhoven in late November, and for all the concerns that a recent run of four successive league draws has brought, the scale of Liverpool’s improvement in two months should not be overlooked.
That soulless PSV showing was an anomaly in this season's Champions League. Liverpool wilted under the pressure that night, but has so often stood up to the challenge on the European stage this term. While the weekly rigors of domestic league games have proved formidable, the Champions League has brought the best out of Slot’s side.
Wins over Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and now away at Marseille give credence to the belief this Liverpool team has the capacity to go all the way in the Champions League this season. That would certainly banish any questions about Slot’s credentials.
In the meantime, victory leaves Liverpool fourth in the table ahead of that crunch game against Qarabag next week. A point should be enough to secure automatic qualification to the last-16, but three are expected at Anfield.
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Slot knows that only too well.