Opinion: Arne Slot may have found an unexpected fix for Liverpool's defensive woes during Arsenal shutout

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Arne Slot’s goalless draw at Arsenal offered a surprising potential solution to Liverpool’s defensive fragility: trusting his centre-backs to defend higher and more aggressively, rather than masking the back line with a deeper block or extra protection.

Against a free-scoring Arsenal side, Liverpool kept a rare clean sheet by allowing Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté to operate on the front foot, stepping out to engage early and compress space instead of retreating towards their own box. Slot’s setup accepted that Liverpool would have less attacking threat and fewer shots, but in exchange the team became compact, organised and hard to play through, limiting Arsenal to very low-quality chances.

Instead of asking his defenders to constantly defend big spaces in transition – a hallmark of the Klopp era that had increasingly exposed Liverpool’s back line – Slot simplified their job. The midfield and wide players worked primarily to block passing lanes into central areas, funneling play where Van Dijk and Konaté could dominate duels in the air and on the ground. The emphasis shifted from relentless pressing to intelligent positioning, with Liverpool content to hold shape, slow the game and frustrate Arsenal.

The article suggests this performance may be a template for Liverpool’s future in tough away fixtures: a more pragmatic, control‑first approach that prioritises stability over spectacle. It argues that Slot may have stumbled onto an “unexpected fix” not through a tactical revolution, but by leaning into the core strengths of his best defenders and resisting the urge to attack in numbers at all times.

If Slot can blend this sturdier defensive platform with more fluent attacking play in games where Liverpool see more of the ball, the Arsenal shutout could be remembered as an early turning point in his attempt to rebuild an elite, balanced side.