The goalkeeper was flooded with support

The goalkeeper was flooded with support

Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool at the end of last season after nine memorable years at Anfield

Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool at the end of last season after nine memorable years at Anfield

Jayden Danns hasn't featured at any level this season for Liverpool after suffering a back problem during the summer

Jayden Danns hasn't featured at any level this season for Liverpool after suffering a back problem during the summer

Latest Liverpool news and gossip as Ryan Gravenberch summed up Alexis Mac Allister's performance against Bologna in the Champions League with one word

Latest Liverpool news and gossip as Ryan Gravenberch summed up Alexis Mac Allister's performance against Bologna in the Champions League with one word

Liverpool only dropped points against Nottingham Forest since Arne Slot arrived at Anfield, but Reds captain Virgil van Dijk has insisted this is only the beginning of what his team is capable of producing under the new head coach.

"We gave some chances away because we were sloppy in possession," Van Dijk told reporters including from Liverpool.com after his side beat Bologna. "We could have done a lot better in the final third. A couple of times we came with the wrong decision in terms of the final pass. Second half, we controlled the game much better."

The second win in the Champions League puts Liverpool in a strong position to progress to the knockout phase without the need for an extra play-off round. But while it also meant Slot becoming the first Reds boss to win eight of his first nine fixtures in charge, Van Dijk believes the team is still a work in progress.

Liverpool undroppable has proven Arne Slot right as major transfer question fades

Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers vs Bologna as Ryan Gravenberch and 3 more excellent

"100 per cent," he says. "We had a good meeting after the Wolves game about how to manage the game much better and how not to let the opponent come back into the game.

"We are still learning game management, a little bit of experience, and trying to deal with different situations. The Wolves game was an example of how to not do it and hopefully we learn from it and do it much better, otherwise it will be a very tough season. It will be a tough season but better in that sense.

"As an example, in the Wolves game you are 1-0 up and sometimes you don't need to force the most difficult ball and losing the ball, giving the opponent a better feeling and momentum in order to get dangerous situations.

"Managing the game at times and deciding when to play that killer pass or when to keep possession, making the opponent run a little bit more and making them frustrated, I think is a fine balance. We have to and we will do that much better because we speak about it.

"We won that game but I was one of the guys who was not that happy because we could have done a lot better in terms of making it a lot easier for ourselves. We conceded the 1-1 and then we got the penalty so we were leading quite quickly again but if we want to achieve things this season then we have to be much better than that.

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool shouts at colleagues during the UEFA Champions League match against Bologna at Anfield on October 2 2024 (Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

"When you're sloppy, you can give chances away and that's something we have to work on. It's still a learning process and everyone wants to do as good as they can and that's a good thing. We can still improve but we're winning games and we'll keep going."

Slot has made a very positive start and his calm demeanor on the touchline matches the way he wants his team to play. "He's not shouting in the sense of going absolutely mental but he is raising his voice because it is needed as well," Van Dijk says.

"It is not shouting with nothing to back it up; he can show the [video] and show us 'you should have done this'. That's a good thing in my opinion and we still have so much to give, but it's a good start."

Ryan Gravenberch was once again excellent for Liverpool against Bologna while Cody Gakpo came off the bench to give a rest to Luis Diaz. And Van Dijk is pleased with how each of his Dutch compatriots have been contributing so far this season.

"These guys have a lot of quality and Ryan has been playing fantastically this season already," he says. "Cody obviously hasn't started every game but the games he has been playing, but he is a fantastic player as well — he showed that also with the national team.

"He's a good player around the team as well and everyone has to play their part. These guys have loads of quality like the other guys in the team as well."

Adblock test (Why?)

The Darwin Nunez conundrum remains at Liverpool after he struggled to stamp his authority in the 2-0 win over Bologna, a match that had its ups and downs for Arne Slot‘s side.

Anfield welcomed back Champions League action with a victory on Wednesday evening, with Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah scoring the goals to add another three points to Liverpool’s tally.

“Overall good result, but I wouldn’t use the word ‘delighted’ myself,” Slot assessed post-match after his side gave impetus to Bologna.

Here, Joanna Durkan (@JoannaDurkan_) and Sam Millne (@sam_millne), who were both at Anfield, discuss the latest victory and the enigma that is Nunez.

The good…

JOANNA: In the lead-up to the match I was able to head into town and there were plenty of Bologna fans around, the atmosphere around the place was really good.

The sun was shining, hallelujah, and you could not have asked for a better day after what has felt like endless rain in the UK!

My first match at Anfield this season and it had its moments. Mohamed Salah‘s goal and assist were a thing of beauty!

I had a pretty good view of them both and you knew almost the moment they came off the boot it was going to have a cracking ending.

Ryan Gravenberch was another level once again and it was nice to see him in full flight with my own eyes rather than the angles the TV director chooses to show us. Lots of talk in the stands about him too, rightly so!

SAM: As the evenings get colder, supporters were making sure to enjoy their last pre-match drinks without the big coat until 2025.

Most of the talk was about how many we would win by, such has been the confidence instilled in fans by Slot. In the end, it didn’t turn out that way, with Vincenzo Italiano clearly now making his mark on Bologna who played good football at times.

The Reds were solid, though, and while Slot would have preferred the second to have come earlier, Liverpool ultimately saw out the game in relative comfort.

I think the performance would best be described as ‘professional’.

The bad…

JOANNA: That the price of water at Anfield has gone from £2 to £2.20.

Other than that, the referee was shocking. I don’t know what he was seeing because it wasn’t what actually happened, he was just blowing his whistle as and when he felt like it.

Some really bizarre decisions and the yellow card for Ibou just summed it up. What was he thinking? Got the atmosphere going where I was sat in the upper Main Stand, at least.

Lastly, our final ball was lacking far too often and some of the passes out from the back allowed Bologna to gain some confidence – two things Liverpool really need to polish moving forward.

Konate’s reaction for receiving a yellow card for no reason. ?pic.twitter.com/5f1e893zYw

— Samuel (@SamueILFC) October 2, 2024

SAM: As Joanna said, I really couldn’t get my head around some of the bookings, Konate’s in particular.

Ultimately, it didn’t really matter on the night but it could still have ramifications, should he pick up further yellow cards.

From my lower Anfield Road position, it was clear as day that Ibou was the victim, not the perpetrator, in this scenario. The referee acted like a schoolteacher who doesn’t know the culprit so punishes the class!

Apart from that, it was difficult to complain about too much on the night.

And Darwin Nunez struggled at Anfield, can you see any way he fits under Arne Slot?

SAM: I feel like we haven’t really moved on in the Darwin debate since Klopp left.

Under Slot he is still bringing the same positives and negatives that have made him such a tricky player to work out since signing in 2022.

Personally, I don’t think his goalscoring record is the issue, it’s how he fits in overall as the team’s forward – he and Jota are very different players.

It was interesting after the game to hear Slot say he was making the right runs but his teammates weren’t finding him, perhaps signalling the coach was relatively pleased with Nunez’s showing.

JOANNA: He’s a real enigma, is Darwin. The ability is there but we need it consistently and with more confidence that it’ll stand up in the big moments.

It looked like he kept having his hair pulled but you just wanted him to be stronger in the contest, to be the safe out ball.

It is hard to see him really pushing Diogo for a starting spot. He’s an option when rotation is needed or injury forces Slot’s hand but otherwise he’s not done enough, for me.

He’s not played a lot of football of late and you can give him some leniency for that, but the lack of chaos in Slot’s system does not sing to what Nunez is naturally gifted at.

He makes some good runs that are not always rewarded by his teammates but that offside to rule out a good finish just summed him up, it really was not difficult to stay in line.

I want so much for him to succeed and support is not an issue, Anfield readily sang his name but it is going to take more than that.

Adblock test (Why?)

Virgil van Dijk has pointed to where Liverpool must improve if they are going to challenge for major honours this season

Virgil van Dijk has pointed to where Liverpool must improve if they are going to challenge for major honours this season

Jayden Danns has not been able to feature at all for Liverpool this season due to a back injury, but the young striker has just taken a big step in his recovery.

Danns was one of the breakout stars of Jurgen Klopp‘s final campaign at Anfield, rising up from the U18s squad to score twice in five first-team appearances.

The 18-year-old made the matchday squad on 11 occasions and signed a new long-term contract with the club in May, as a marker of his progress.

There was disappointment, then, that Danns was first unable to play a part in Arne Slot‘s first pre-season before being denied a loan move to Championship side Plymouth Argyle.

After missing the Reds’ warmup schedule it emerged that the youngster had suffered a back injury that has kept him out ever since.

But Thursday saw Danns make his return to the outdoor pitches at the AXA Training Centre, with the striker revealing on Instagram that he was “back running!”

Danns has been undergoing his rehabilitation as part of the U21s squad, rather than the first team, and it is likely that he is eventually reintroduced in Barry Lewtas‘ side.

The U21s have certainly missed a player of his quality already this season, particularly in the EFL Trophy as they lost 5-1 to Crewe Alexandra and drew 1-1 with Harrogate Town.

Lewtas’ young Reds have not been short of goals in their league, scoring 13 times in five games, though they have been shared throughout the squad with Tyler Morton and Ranel Young joint-top scorers with two apiece.

While he is likely to be weeks or even months off returning to action at this stage, Danns’ recovery will be a major boost for Liverpool.

It is possible that he is brought back into first-team training when fit, though Slot is not short of attacking options with Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa all playing up front already this season.

It could be that Danns’ progress is evaluated when the January transfer window opens and a loan move is then agreed to ensure the senior experience he requires.

He is not the only youngster who is edging closer to a return from long-term injury, with midfielder James McConnell also nearing his comeback after an ankle problem.

Adblock test (Why?)

Liverpool continued its perfect start to the Champions League campaign last night, beating Bologna 2-0 at Anfield to move up to fifth in the table and remain on track for automatic qualification. However, Arne Slot was not altogether happy with what he saw — and he was not the only one.

The clean sheet for the Reds certainly didn't tell the story of the match, with Alisson called into action numerous times, and forced to rely on his woodwork on a couple of other occasions. Bologna even had the ball in the back of the net, although Virgil van Dijk had held a good line.

But club legend Steve Nicol believes there were problems at the other end as well. Liverpool found the net twice courtesy of Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah, but not everyone impressed in the final third.

Salah himself was sometimes guilty of fluffing the final ball, despite laying on a wonderful assist for Mac Allister's goal. Luis Diaz also had a quiet night by the standards he has set this season. But it was Darwin Nunez on the end of a brutal verdict from Nicol.

"Nunez started. I’m afraid Mr Nunez looks a little lost to be quite honest,” Nicol said on ESPN. "He got substituted, Jota came on. But in general all the front players need to do better with the final ball.

"Unfortunately right now he [Nunez] can’t get out his own way. Running offside, a couple of times when he tried to shoot he should have passed it."

Nunez briefly thought he had scored in the first half after a cool slotted finish, but the assistant's flag denied him. Detractors would say that this has been all too common in his spell at the club — and that when he does beat the offside trap, that same composure seems to desert him.

It was a frustrating night for Darwin Nunez. (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

That was one thing under Jurgen Klopp, where chances were at least flowing for Nunez. But at the crux of Nicol's "lost" analysis is a fear that the Uruguayan is not managing to get involved to the same extent under Slot.

Of course, the sample size is small. Nunez scored in his first start under the new head coach, and while he did struggle to make much of an impact against Bologna, this was just his second outing.

But there's another question about why Slot hasn't seemed to fancy Nunez for starts so far. Much of that can be chalked up to the quality of competition, with Cody Gakpo similarly sidelined, but it's certainly not the fresh start the potential record signing would have been envisaging.

Now into his third campaign at Liverpool, we are probably into make or break territory for his Anfield career. As ever, the potential is there for all to see, but Nicol is not wrong — Nunez does look a little lost, and he needs to find himself quickly.

Liverpool.com says: Slot jumped to the defense of Nunez last night, pointing out that the striker did find the net in his only other start of the season. He also highlighted the relative lack of service to the striker, with the final ball deficient all night against Bologna.

All that is true. But at the same time, did Nunez do enough to wrest the jersey off Jota for the weekend? Almost certainly not.

If he continues to be limited to bit-part roles, he will struggle to finally come good on the promise we have all seen. Things need to turn around for him soon.

Adblock test (Why?)

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk does not necessarily agree with the idea that the Reds are playing with more control under Arne Slot than they did under Jurgen Klopp.

Much has been made of the small tweaks Slot has made to Liverpool's style since arriving from Feyenoord in the summer, with Slot himself saying in August that he wanted his players to keep the ball more than they perhaps did under Klopp.

Some of Liverpool's players have commented on how the team is playing with more control this season, with Alexis Mac Allister stating over the weekend that he 'loves' Slot's ideas, but Van Dijk was not so quick to agree with a reporter's suggestion that Liverpool is trying to exert more control over games under the new manager.

"I don't know, we had an amazing time with Jurgen Klopp," Van Dijk told CBS Sports. "We were very successful and obviously the new manager came in and he has his principles and values and everything that comes with it, and we try to do it as good as possible. I think everyone is enjoying it as well, so let's keep working and keep getting better."

Liverpool made it eight wins from nine matches in all competitions on Wednesday as Bologna was beaten 2-0 in the Champions League at Anfield.

Liverpool started the game well, scoring inside 11 minutes when Mac Allister turned home from Mohamed Salah's inviting cross, but the visiting team grew into the match as the first half went on.

Bologna had chances to equalise but could not do so before half-time, and Liverpool reemerged an improved side after the break, rounding off the win when Salah fired a brilliant effort into the top corner with 15 minutes remaining.

"Good result, good game," Van Dijk said. "I think we did well overall. We obviously gave chances away but that was down to us being sloppy on the ball. Second half much better, in my opinion much more energy, but I think we saw today if we made the right decisions in the final third I think we could've scored more, especially in the first half, but overall a clean sheet, three points and now we focus on the weekend [against Crystal Palace in the Premier League]."

Adblock test (Why?)

Alexis Mac Allister scored and Alisson Becker played a crucial role in Liverpool's 2-0 Champions League victory over Bologna at Anfield

Alexis Mac Allister scored and Alisson Becker played a crucial role in Liverpool's 2-0 Champions League victory over Bologna at Anfield

Dominik Szoboszlai has revealed the 'little discussion' that helped Liverpool maintain their strong start to the Arne Slot era with Champions League victory

Dominik Szoboszlai has revealed the 'little discussion' that helped Liverpool maintain their strong start to the Arne Slot era with Champions League victory

Liverpool could move to strengthen their squad in January after a quiet summer transfer window