Arne Slot breaks Jurgen Klopp record as Liverpool stay top

Arne Slot continued his excellent start to life at Anfield on Saturday, as Liverpool secured a one-nil victory over Crystal Palace in the lunchtime kick-off.  The result ensured Liverpool remains top of the table, as players depart for the second International break of the season.

The result also earned Arne Slot a new defensive record, surpassing previous manager Jurgen Klopp in the process.

Arne Slot continued his remarkable start to life as Liverpool's new Head Coach on Saturday, with victory over Crystal Palace ensuring the Reds head into the upcoming International break as Premier League leaders.  Despite a quick turnaround from their European game in midweek - why does Liverpool get so many 12.30 kick-offs? - the Reds had far too much quality for Crystal Palace, and should have scored more than Diogo Jota's solitary goal.

Goals win games, defences win Titles

It's fair to say that Liverpool are way ahead of where many people expected them to be at this point in the season, and while I fully acknowledge the fact that we haven't played any of the top 6 sides yet (I don't class Man United as a top 6 team anymore), you can only play what is in front of you, and Liverpool deserve to be top of the League.

Key to their excellent start has been Liverpool's defense, which has only conceded two goals in their seven Premier League games.  They have also kept five clean sheets.

That means Liverpool have the best defensive record in the league after 7 games, having conceded six goals less than Manchester City, four less than Arsenal, and five less than Chelsea.  It means the Reds also have the best goal difference in the league, with +11.

Speaking after Liverpool's latest victory, Captain Virgil Van Dijk highlighted the effort the whole team puts into their defensive work,

"We keep going and we keep working.  We are never satisfied. Everyone is contributing to clean sheets."

And while fans might be more interested in seeing plenty of goals and being entertained, come the end of the season, it will be Liverpool's defensive record that determines where the Reds finish.  As former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson once said, "attack wins you games, defence wins you titles!"

Arne Slot breaks Jurgen Klopp's defensive record

As well as guiding Liverpool to the top of the Premier League, Slot has also achieved a remarkable defensive record, beating previous manager Jurgen Klopp's record in the process.

During his eight Premier League campaigns with Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp's best defensive record (after seven games), was three goals conceded.  That record was set during the 2018-19 season when the Reds conceded just three goals during the first seven games, finishing the season with 97 points, one behind winners Man City.

By conceding only two goals during the first seven games of the 2024-25 season, Arne Slot has already beaten Klopp's best start to a Premier League campaign, providing further evidence that the Dutchman has the skills and attributes needed to succeed at Anfield.

Arne Slot vs Jurgen Klopp defensive record (goals conceded after seven Premier League games)

Jurgen Klopp

2016 - 10 goals
2017 - 12 goals
2018 - 3 goals
2019 - 5 goals
2020 - 15 goals
2021 - 6 goals
2022 - 9 goals
2023 - 7 goals

Arne Slot

2024 - 2 goals

As you can see from the figures above, Jurgen Klopp only twice came close to Arne Slot's record this season, in 2018-19 and 2019-20. In three of the German's campaigns, Liverpool conceded more than ten goals in the first seven games, proving that Slot has been working hard with the team over the summer to improve their defensive solidity.

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