Liverpool's Pride on the Line: Can Salah and Co. Reignite the Reds Ahead of the United Derby?

Under pressure, Liverpool host United in a pride test

Liverpool returns to the forefront after a difficult spell, welcoming rivals Manchester United to Anfield on Sunday for a match that doubles as a test of the club’s pride and the faith of its supporters.

According to The Athletic, Dutch manager Arne Slot fully grasps the scale of the challenge after three straight losses—the worst run of his tenure—yet he remains convinced his players can respond and regain balance.

Slot's calm amid the storm and the squad's strategic balance

Slot appeared calm at the Kirkby training ground following a brief family break in Dubai, looking relaxed and renewed despite the external criticism during the international window.

“I don’t think these players need me to spell out what happened. We have played ten matches across all competitions, winning seven and losing three by very narrow margins. Twice we lost in stoppage time to Crystal Palace and Chelsea, and in the game against Galatasaray both teams earned penalties; the VAR should have overturned theirs but only ours was overturned. The margins were tiny, but we can’t rely on such minute details,” Slot said.

“These players who have faced many experiences don’t wake up worrying because we’ve lost three games, but when you lose three in a row wearing a Liverpool shirt, you have to respond forcefully against whoever comes next.”

Slot stressed that Liverpool—second in the table, one point behind leaders Arsenal—remains close to its true level. He opted to give international players a breather after their commitments, with Mohamed Salah seen enjoying sun on a yacht in the sea.

Friday marked the team’s first gathering after 13 days since the last match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. In the interim, Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez, and Federico Chiesa trained with the Under-21s, while injured Alisson and Wataro Endo continued their rehabilitation.

Explosive scheduling awaits the Reds

Slot is looking at a demanding run: seven clashes in 21 days across three competitions, including a Champions League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, a trip to Brentford, a League Cup tie with Crystal Palace, and visits to Aston Villa and Real Madrid, before the big finale against Manchester City at the Etihad.

After the dramatic 4 October loss to Chelsea, the international break arrived at a welcome moment. Slot used the pause for a week in a luxury Dubai resort with his wife Miriam and their sons, in order to think calmly and reassess the phase ahead.

Tactical shifts and integrating new signings

Integrating the summer arrivals has not been easy, especially with aging stars perhaps lacking peak fitness. The right-back position has seen changes, and Slot continues to search for the ideal midfield balance to bring out the best in Florian Vertes.

Alexander Isak, signed from Newcastle after his summer strike, started late and thus his impact has been gradual. Slot commented, “You can’t go from not playing to three matches a week. If you rotate and win, you’re praised; if you lose, critics say you should have played the same lineup. That’s football’s nature.”

He also noted opponents’ adjustments to Liverpool’s style: “After seven league games, we’ve faced a lot of long balls—roughly a third of what we faced last season. We must find solutions, starting with reducing goals conceded.”

Salah, the pride card and the big bet

Slot believes the team hasn’t yet capitalized on individual moments from its attackers this season as it did last year, hoping a derby spark against United could rekindle Salah’s form. Salah has a storied record against the rivals, with 16 goals in 17 meetings across all competitions and contributing to 18 of the last 25 Liverpool goals against United.

Addressing criticism of Salah’s deeper positioning during crunch moments, Slot said: “I’ve heard the comments about Salah’s positioning. There are five or six moments he could have decisively settled for us if things had gone differently. There’s always a balance between wingers and full-backs.” Salah—who has scored only a couple of league goals this season—returned to training in high spirits after guiding Egypt to World Cup qualification with a brace against Djibouti, before being rested for Guinea-Bissau.

International roars and club rhythm

International duty brought bursts of form for several players. Cody Gakpo netted twice for the Netherlands against Malta and again against Finland; Dominik Szoboszlai and Hugo Ekitike also produced notable moments, while Alexander Isak played full matches for Sweden. Andy Robertson captained Scotland to two wins, Alex Mac Allister excelled with Argentina, and Conor Bradley featured for Ireland Northern Ireland in friendlies. Slot stressed that the late pre-season rhythm is now finding its stride as the squad bonds under pressure.

Liverpool’s climb back toward the top will be tested again this weekend, and the Reds’ response will signal whether they can sustain a title challenge or settle into a rebuilding phase mid-season.

Humor break: if press conferences had a skill test, Slot would ace the ‘mini-rotation’ drill—best one-liners of the day, with the same 11 for the post-match analysis, obviously not the same line-up as last season’s thriller, but hey, even a computer can’t predict a captain’s mood after a yacht day.

Punchline 1: If timing is everything, Slot’s squad is in fine form—just not in the same formation. Punchline 2: The only thing sharper than Salah’s finishing might be the sharpness of the questions in the post-match warp-speed press room.