The roar of The Kop, a late, decisive goal, and another improbable victory snatched from the jaws of a stalemate. For Liverpool, this has become a familiar, almost customary, narrative of their nascent season. The Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid at Anfield delivered precisely this brand of high-octane drama, culminating in Virgil van Dijk`s 93rd-minute header. While five wins from five starts is an enviable record, the unsettling truth beneath the surface is beginning to reveal itself: these triumphs often emerge from a cauldron of self-inflicted defensive vulnerabilities. Is this a sign of champions finding a way, or a ticking tactical time bomb for manager Arne Slot?
The Anfield Rollercoaster: A Game of Two Halves (and One Reluctant Opponent)
The match against Atletico began with a predictable surge from Liverpool. Diego Simeone’s side, renowned for their defensive fortitude, arrived with a plan to smother Liverpool’s potent attack. However, this iteration of Atletico, it quickly became apparent, was not built in the same unyielding mold as its predecessors. Their attempts at a deep, disciplined block dissolved with alarming speed. Mohamed Salah, ever the opportunist, capitalized early, first with a deflected free-kick and then with a clinical finish born from Ryan Gravenberch`s incisive run. Two goals within minutes, and Anfield was rocking, seemingly anticipating a comfortable evening.
Yet, as often happens in football, comfort proved elusive. Atletico, finding their initial defensive strategy unsustainable, shifted gears. They began to exploit the very spaces Liverpool’s aggressive full-backs vacated with such regularity. It was an elementary adjustment, one that yielded immediate results. Marcos Llorente, a name that still sends shivers down the spines of some Liverpool faithful from a prior European encounter, found the net, halving the deficit just before the interval. The narrative had flipped: from a dominant display to a precarious lead, all because an “underpowered” Atletico decided to actually *attack*.
The Defensive Conundrum: A Costly Inheritance for Slot
The primary takeaway from this thrilling encounter wasn`t Liverpool`s attacking brilliance – though Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Jeremie Frimpong showed flashes of it – but rather the persistent ease with which opponents find avenues to threaten Alisson’s goal. This isn`t an isolated incident; it`s a recurring theme that has seen Liverpool fritter away two-goal leads with alarming regularity this season.
The tactical blueprint under Arne Slot, while brimming with attacking intent, appears to come with a steep defensive price tag. The midfield double pivot, featuring talents like Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai, offers creativity and drive but conspicuously lacks a natural “destroyer” – a specialist in breaking up play and shielding the backline. This absence leaves Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate often exposed, facing direct runners under less pressure than one would expect at this elite level.
Furthermore, the adventurous positioning of Liverpool’s full-backs, while integral to their offensive strategy, creates vast tracts of unprotected space in wide areas. Atletico’s simple yet effective approach of releasing quick players into these channels highlighted a gaping vulnerability. When Pablo Barrios can pick up the ball in a shooting position with “precious little pressure,” one must pause. Imagine, with a touch of chilling irony, if those pockets were being exploited by Victor Osimhen, Lautaro Martinez, or the truly terrifying Kylian Mbappé. The current defensive framework, replete with “awkward fits,” feels less like a meticulously crafted machine and more like a collection of brilliant individual parts struggling for collective cohesion at the back.
The Sustainability Question: Can Liverpool Keep “Getting Away With This”?
Five wins from five is an impressive start by any measure, and it certainly buys Slot valuable time to address these structural issues. The belief fostered by these late triumphs is undeniable – Van Dijk himself declared, “We found a way” – but how long can a team rely on sheer willpower and last-gasp heroics to paper over significant cracks?
The elite echelons of European football are unforgiving. Sooner or later, a team will arrive at Anfield not merely to try their luck, but with the tactical discipline and clinical finishing to punish these defensive lapses unequivocally. The argument that “champions win even when not playing well” eventually gives way to the stark reality that consistent defensive solidity is a prerequisite for sustained success.
Arne Slot, having inherited a squad brimming with attacking talent and a winning mentality, now faces the formidable task of imbuing it with a defensive resilience commensurate with its aspirations. The late win against Atletico Madrid was undoubtedly thrilling, a testament to Liverpool`s fighting spirit. But it was also a stark, almost uncomfortable, reminder that unless these defensive problems are solved, the future may hold more gruelling late exchanges than glorious last-gasp triumphs. The clock, for all the celebratory roars, is ticking.
Dominic Ashworth