We are not even a fortnight into December and Arne Slot has already toppled Guardiola and City twice this month.
After getting one over on Pep Guardiola and champions Manchester City with a convincing 2-0 win 10 days ago, this time it was the turn of his little brother, Pere Guardiola, to be left humbled by Liverpool and the Slot machine.
Pere is the president of City Football Group-owned Girona, who are one of the new guests at Europe’s top table on their inaugural Champions League campaign. But the gulf in quality from these gatecrashers to the very elite sides was highlighted last night as Liverpool beat them 1-0.
You need not be a fortune teller to predict the protagonist. As always seems to be, Mohamed Salah was the man with the golden keys to turn a draw into victory, taking his goal tally for the season up to 16 and registering his 50th Champions League strike in the process.
Even though he arguably looks better than ever at 32, climbing up the ladder for most goals in this showpiece competition looks a tall order given three man have already reached triple figures: Cristiano Ronaldo (140), Lionel Messi (129) and Roberto Lewandowski (101).
Reaching his half-century, though, still represents an almighty fine knock and uber-professional Salah does have a couple of more realistic records in his sights between now and New Year. He is currently on a seven-match scoring run in the league and will fancy Jamie Vardy’s 11 in a row.
Liverpool maintained their perfect start to the Champions League campaign on Tuesday
Mohamed Salah scored a second-half penalty to secure a 1-0 win over Girona
The Egyptian winger sent Girona’s Paulo Gazzaniga the wrong way from 12-yards out
The next goal he nets will have more historic meaning, though, as the Egyptian will match the great Billy Liddell’s tally for the club and overtake the flying Scotsman on the all-time list into fourth. Born in 1922, Liddell was so good that the team was nicknamed ‘Liddellpool’ at the time.
Salahpool does not have the same ring to it but it feels just as appropriate, with Liverpool’s No 11 contributing with a goal or assist to 57 per cent of their goals in all competitions and 75 per cent in the league. To be blunt, without him where would they be?
Certainly not at the summit of the Premier League and Champions League, with this victory making it a sweet six from six in Europe. Before a ball was kicked in this campaign, people discussed Slot’s lack of credentials in European competition with poor showings at Feyenoord.
He has made a mockery of that. As he has with just about every pre-season forecast, to be fair. Transition season after Jurgen Klopp? Don’t be daft, he would say. How can Liverpool compete after such a quiet summer window? Improve your current crop of stars with fine coaching.
Slot has done that as nearly every Liverpool player has improved under his guidance – old boys Salah and Virgil van Dijk included but also one-time fringe players Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones – and the manager deserves a mountain of credit.
This display was not quite as shining as the head of the bald manager, or the standards set in recent months. Though Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga made several good stops, the Reds were far from their best and needed their own No 1, returning Alisson, a number of times.
It took a debatable penalty shout to unlock the stubborn Spaniards and the home side also threatened Liverpool’s back line several times with some zapping counter-attacks. As they have all season, though, Van Dijk and Co stood tall to keep another clean sheet.
City’s sister club Girona are one of the success stories of European football over the last decade, promoted to La Liga for the first time in 2017 and now trying to compete with the three Spanish behemoths from the capital of Madrid and nearby Catalan city Barcelona.
Michel, their coach, has been touted as one of the best in Europe and even linked with the Manchester City job should Guardiola have walked away at the end of this season. Ultimately he decided to stay put but watch this space, with Michel certain for a big move soon.
Pere Guardiola (right) – brother of Pep – is the president of City Football Group-owned Girona (Pictured in October 2023)
It wasn’t to be for the Spanish side who are stacked with former Premier League stars
Arne Slot’s side remain top of both the Champions League and the Premier League
There were plenty of familiar faces on display at Estadi Montilivi, with eight Girona players formerly of English clubs. Most notable were ex-Manchester United stars Donny van de Beek and Daley Blind, who swung and missed at a glorious early chance to score.
Everton flop Arnaut Danjuma had some wild efforts that sailed high and wide from good positions, while ex-Tottenham man Bryan Gil also had chances. Former Watford midfielder Yaser Asprilla also tanned the gloves of Alisson as Michel’s men created a number of openings.
Another ex Spurs star Gazzaniga was perhaps the player of the match, though, for several big stops to deny the likes of Joe Gomez, Andy Robertson and a wasteful Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan has just three goals to his name under Slot and must be worried about losing his place when Diogo Jota is fit soon.
The deadlock was finally broken just after the hour after Van de Beek clipped the heel of Diaz and felled the Colombian in the penalty area. After a lengthy consultation at the VAR monitor, Salah stepped up. Unlike his miss in the last European game against Real Madrid, he dispatched this time.
