Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, at his press conference following his side’s triumph at Old Trafford, hailed Manchester United for starting the encounter “really well”, however, expressed delight after his side held on before clinching victory.
 |
| Liverpool manager, Arne Slot. Photo: @LFC |
The Dutch manager said, “I think United started really well but we fought ourselves through.”
Liverpool made light work of Manchester United in the Premier League 2024/25 match at Old Trafford, winning by three goals to nil, on Sunday 1 September, 2024.
Luis Diaz netted two, and Mohamed Salah scored one, to hand the Reds all away three points.
At his post-Manchester United press conference, Slot said:
On whether he thinks the game could have gone any better for Liverpool…
No, no I don’t. I think everything you want to see as a manager you saw in this game. So, there were difficult moments for us – I think United started really well and we conceded one or two corner kicks in that moment. But we fought ourselves through those moments and then we got the disallowed goal but there was no negative reaction at all, we just kept on playing afterwards: scoring three, we could have scored more, two important saves from Ali [Alisson Becker] in the second half. So, everything was there and maybe the one that was most important is that the work-rate was incredible by all of them without the ball, and that makes it a very positive day today.
On the aspect of the Reds’ start to the season that he is most proud of…
I normally don’t use the word ‘proud’ but what I think we did very well in all three games is, like I just mentioned, the work-rate without the ball. So, we try to press the opponent as high as we can but if they play through or over our press, I see everybody working really hard to make sure we don’t need Ali and sometimes we do and then it’s a good thing that we have a real good goalkeeper. What impressed me most today was the way we played with the ball because I know what we can do without the ball, but the way we played with the ball was I think also very good today.
On gaining the biggest win of his tenure to date in his most high-profile match so far…
It was special to be involved in this game and it’s only special if you win it, and that’s what we did. So, [I am] really pleased that we won it but maybe even more with the game and how we did it today.
On whether he felt the midfield was an area Liverpool could cause United problems…
With the ball we thought, yes – when we had ball possession we were hoping that we could find one of our midfielders open or free every time. But, again, also these three played a very good game, I agree with you, but they need their centre-backs to play the ball through the lines. They need the centre-backs to be close to them for the moments they cannot arrive, then Ibou [Konate] was there, Virgil [van Dijk] was there… Virgil every time stepped into the midfield defensively, also.
