Slot hits reset at Liverpool but revival risks stalling without evolution

ARNE Slot finally hit the reset button, ending a bruising four-game losing streak in the league and a meltdown in confidence with Saturday's home win over Aston Villa.

- ROWAN CALLAGHAN

ARNE Slot's Liverpool rediscovered balance against Aston Villa, but the manager must now decide how to blend new signings with the trusted core.

(AFP)

With striker Hugo Ekitike the only new signing starting, Slot seemed to rediscover the balance at the champions by going back to basics.

In so doing, the Liverpool manager is merely kicking the can down the road, with the problem still being: how do you evolve a squad under pressure to play the new stars when the only reliable source of rhythm is the old guard?

That would make sense, with muscle memory from the Jürgen Klopp era, but a transition that once seemed so smooth is looking anything but at the moment.