Liverpool, led by Arne Slot, made it two wins from two games on their US pre-season tour, with a 2-1 victory over Premier League rivals Arsenal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Harvey Elliott impressed for the Reds, providing some great assists as he broke open the Gunners’ usually solid defence.
The first gave Mo Salah the score in the 13th minute, with the midfielder delivering a beautiful lob into the penalty area for Fabio Carvalho to slot home.
Kai Havertz scored a goal from close range for Mikel Arteta’s team just before half-time, but Slot’s team held on and won in a subdued second half.
Mail Sport’s Lewis Steele and Isaan Khan were in the US to watch the Reds beat Arteta’s team. They share what we learned from the game.
Harvey Elliott (right) provided a wonderful assist for Fabio Carvalho (left) to score Liverpool’s second goal against Arsenal
Mo Salah opened the scoring for the Reds as they beat Arsenal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Martin Odegaard provided a touch of magic in the build-up to the Gunners’ only goal of the game
Elliott seizes his chance
Harvey Elliott told Mail Sport earlier this week that he was ready to step in as a leader and play a crucial role in Arne Slot’s plans. Judging by his performances, the 21-year-old is not just a talk show.
Playing as a No.10 for Liverpool here, the midfielder recorded two excellent assists, the first being a slick one-touch pass to set up Mohamed Salah, before adding another with a deft chip for Fabio Carvalho.
Elliott won more appearances than all but one Liverpool player last season, but his starts were limited. He feels like he really needs to push this season and sees Slot’s arrival as a chance to start again.
In addition to his goal contributions, Elliott had the ball constantly and looked dangerous, even attempting a pass from Rabona to Luca Stephenson in the second half to show his confidence had grown immensely.
With several key players missing for Liverpool, this pre-season tour is a chance for fringe players like Elliott to prove to the new coaching regime that they are worthy of a star role. After two positive outings in the States, Elliott is sure to seize the opportunity.
The 21-year-old Elliott seizes his chance in the system of the new head coach Arne Slot
Value of Dutch defender only increased
Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg made a bizarre statement this week when he said the valuation placed on his head – reportedly around £20million – was too high, suggesting he is no longer a transfer option.
PSV Eindhoven saw a bid of around £10m rejected this week after the defender’s successful loan campaign at German club Mainz. Liverpool believe they paid a fair price for Van den Berg, despite his comments.
Sporting director Richard Hughes has seen other young defenders move this transfer window, including Dean Huijsen, who has made fewer than 10 Serie A appearances, from Juventus to Bournemouth, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis to Southampton for £20m.
That is why Liverpool consider £20m for Van den Berg reasonable after two seasons in the Bundesliga and two seasons before that in the Championship. It is not certain that the defender will be sold, especially after two pleasant pre-season outings.
He received the ball and was a calming presence in Liverpool’s defence, with the 22-year-old also making a number of crucial defensive plays. After this pleasant trip to the States, that £20m valuation can only go one way.
Sepp Van Den Berg impressed in his two games as a central defender during the American pre-season tour
Slot is happy to tinker
Elliott described Slot’s philosophy earlier this week as a “typical Dutch style” and he was right. It wasn’t quite Total Football, but some of the play, particularly in the first half, was fluidly attacking.
Players switched positions, left, right and in the middle. In the run-up, for example, Dominik Szoboszlai was a deep-lying midfielder, but he also popped up in the channels and made long-busting runs into the penalty area.
Elliott played as both a No 10 and a No 9, while Trey Nyoni was all over the pitch in his 45 minutes. The 17-year-old was a shining example in Pittsburgh last week and had some nice moments here too.
But the main takeaway from the evening was that Slots’ style is pleasing to watch, fluid and vertical. And it’s worth noting that if the system already looks reasonably polished, there’s bound to be even better ones to come when senior figures return to the AXA Training Centre.
The stifling heat and humidity of Philadelphia clearly took their toll in the latter stages as the game fell apart. But the slick football from Slot’s men gave the late Liverpool fans plenty of reason to be excited about the near future.
Slot’s system is already easy to recognise after their victories over Real Betis and the Gunners
Gunners midfield to miss Declan Rice
This was the first game of Arsenal’s pre-season tour when thoughts drifted to a man who was not in the country: Declan Rice.
The midfielder is absent, along with Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale and David Raya, after being given extra rest following England’s European Championship defeat to Spain.
Especially in the first half, there were waves of attacks from Liverpool that penetrated the middle with ease.
The lack of cohesion in the back didn’t really help, as Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel didn’t play together often. The main cause, however, was in the midfield.
Thomas Partey’s job was to guard the area in front of the defence and step in where necessary.
He was repeatedly overrun in midfield and unable to contain Liverpool’s forward pressure, often leaving his defence vulnerable. And when he did need help down the left, Zinchenko’s positioning meant assistance was scarce.
Of course, this is not the defence, nor the midfield (which unusually featured Kai Havertz) that Arsenal will be playing against often, if at all, this season.
But it was a reminder of Rice’s strength.
Thomas Partey (left) struggled in midfield, leaving the defence unprotected too often
Mikel Arteta manages Jurrien Timber’s minutes
A surprising but wise decision: Jurrien Timber was not selected for the Arsenal squad.
It initially came as a surprise, following the Dutchman’s performances in the previous two friendlies against Manchester United and Bournemouth, where he played 63 and 62 minutes respectively.
The 23-year-old looked menacing and physically imposed himself on his opponents, never shying away from any challenge.
A very good sign after such a long injury lay-off. The physical and mental scare have clearly healed.
It would have been interesting to see how he would have fared against a Liverpool team with the likes of Mo Salah and Diogo Jota, but again, context is key.
After a gruelling eight-month rehabilitation period following an ACL injury sustained against Nottingham Forest in August, Timber is not in any hurry to get back on track.
Arsenal would have felt rather foolish if he had developed a problem before the start of the season by pushing the defender too hard.
It was the right decision.
Jurrien Timber was at the Lincoln Financial Field with Arsenal, but sat out the match
Nketiah on his way out?
Arsenal gave fans one final glimpse into the futures of some of their players before departing Philadelphia for London at midnight.
Eddie Nketiah was left on the bench in a match he would have liked to start, or at least come on as a substitute before the 78th minute.
The fact that he didn’t wave has led to reports that he is nearing the exit door. A move to Marseille on a long-term deal is his main option, and one that he is considering. It would give the striker a regular first-team starting spot, something he won’t get at Arsenal this season.
Eddie Nketiah is attracting interest from many clubs as his Arsenal career nears its end
Reiss Nelson started, indicating that the Gunners are considering their options with him. A number of clubs are interested, but Nelson signed a four-year deal in July last year, so it would potentially be difficult to get him out the door — if the Gunners want to.
The winger was disappointing in the first half but was substituted at half-time, although his lack of playing time this year has generally meant he was never going to really get his act together, and he needs to play to be judged fairly.
He certainly has qualities, as evidenced by his teasing cross in the 20th minute.