Unstoppable Arne Slot as Liverpool's substitutes shine

The Reds secured their third consecutive victory in the Champions League, marking a perfect record of six wins in their away games to kick off the season - a new milestone for the club.

Dutchman Slot has won 11 of his 12 games since replacing Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, also a club record.

He appears to have the Midas touch at the moment and even when he is forced to field second-choice players, he comes up trumps, as was the case in Leipzig.

Nunez has been used largely as a substitute this season but an injury to Diogo Jota meant the Uruguayan striker was handed a start and he took full advantage.

He scored the winner, had a nailed-on penalty turned down and forced a great save from Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi in a performance full of energy and endeavour.

Slot was annoyed his side failed to kill off the game and Liverpool endured some nervy moments in the closing stages with Kelleher, again standing in for the injured Alisson, producing two wonderful saves to preserve his side’s lead.

“We are very fortunate. It’s also normal at a club like ours to have two very good players in every position,” he said.

“We are happy that we have two excellent goalkeepers. But it’s not only him – other players who maybe haven’t played that much this season or haven’t been starting also showed up today.”

Nunez’s second goal of the season was a simple tap-in and Mohamed Salah’s header might have been going in anyway. But it was a reward for an industrious display.

“What I liked from Darwin was that he was also strong, comfortable on the ball, kept the ball a lot, fighting if he had to defend, so he made it a really difficult game for the two centre-backs of Leipzig,” Slot added.

“And then for him scoring, I think that is always nice for a striker to be on the scoresheet.”

Leaders Liverpool now travel to Arsenal for a crunch Premier League game on Oct 27 when victory would put them seven points clear of a side many tipped for the title alongside Manchester City.

Salah was spared the last 30 minutes in Leipzig as he was substituted and while the Egyptian looked aghast at going off, even that decision worked out well for Slot.

“We have some injuries now so I have to take good care of the players that have played a lot and Mo is one of them and on Sunday, a big game is coming up again,” the manager said.

“So, I need to use as many players as I can use for these next tough weeks and these tough months that are coming up, so that they are all prepared to play.”

But while all has been going well for Liverpool, it is not all down to Slot, according to Kostas Tsimikas. The Reds defender said last season’s heartbreak was driving their excellent start this campaign.

In 2023, Liverpool won the League Cup and were top of the Premier League table in Klopp’s swansong and on track for four trophies, when a run of poor form saw them crash out of contention.

Tsimikas admitted that the late failings of last season are motivating the players this time.

“Of course (it is driving us). I think the last season, at the end, we destroyed everything,” he said. “After one bad result, I think, against Man United, the team in the next fixtures were not the team we were before.” , AFP