Former Liverpool Star on Arne Slot’s Start, Season Predictions and Liverpool vs Chelsea

Praise has been incredibly high for Arne Slot since his arrival on Merseyside, and rightly so with his Reds sitting top of the Premier League table. With nine wins out of his first ten games in charge, it’s hard to find a fault in his management so far, but Sunday’s clash with Chelsea could be a real test for Liverpool.

Former Liverpool star Jermaine Pennant echoed this thought, when speaking exclusively to Anfield Index. I spoke to the former midfielder about the Dutchman’s start at Anfield, his predictions for the 2024-25 season and his thoughts on that upcoming clash with Chelsea.

Slot’s Flying Start

“You’ve got to be impressed, he has made history,” began Pennant, “It’s the best start from a manager in the club’s history.” Despite the Reds’ disappointing defeat to Nottingham Forest, Slot has still managed to break plenty of records with his impressive start at Liverpool.

Pennant also pointed out some differences between Slot and the former head coach, Jurgen Klopp, saying: “It’s not as chaotic as under Jurgen Klopp and it’s more controlled and has more of a structure with a slower build-up.” This slow build-up has certainly allowed Liverpool to control more games and give up significantly fewer chances to the opponents.

Of course, Pennant was also keen to point out that Liverpool’s opening fixtures have been rather generous, saying: “I’m impressed but we haven’t played any top teams yet, so Chelsea will be a real test.”

Chelsea Preview

“It’s going to be an entertaining game,” started Pennant, “Chelsea score a lot of goals, but they’re also conceding a lot, whilst Liverpool have been really strong at the back.” With that being said, the threat from the likes of Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku could prove Virgil Van Dijk and Ibou Konate’s toughest test yet.

However, it’s Chelsea’s defence who Pennant believes will struggle to cope: “The defensive frailties that Chelsea have at the moment, which we saw against Brighton, I think Liverpool will exploit that.” With that in mind, Pennant is backing a Liverpool victory this weekend, with those Chelsea defensive weak points perhaps being a deciding factor.

“I see a 2-0 win for Liverpool and it’ll definitely be an entertaining game,” predicted Pennant.

Season Predictions

Looking a bit further into the future, Pennant discussed Liverpool’s potential Premier League title credentials but remained cautious, saying: “I want to say they’ll win it, but I’m going to sit on the fence and say they’ll be runners-up.” The former Liverpool midfielder still believes Manchester City are the favourites to lift the trophy, despite the recent injury to Rodri.

“I reckon Man City will win it. I know they’ve lost Rodri but it’s just so hard to look past them, as much as it hurts to say,” claimed Pennant. It’s hard to argue with Man City being tipped as the favourites, winning six of the last seven Premier League titles. However, Rodri’s injury certainly makes the discussion much more interesting and could potentially open the door for Slot’s Reds to cause an upset come May.

For Chelsea, Pennant remained optimistic for the Blues’ chances of securing Champions League football, saying: “If we’re talking about what we’ve seen so far, then I think they’re capable of finishing in the top four.”

Sunday will undoubtedly be a huge game for both sides and has the potential to set the tone going into the festive period, where both clubs will be looking to make strides towards the top of the table. A victory for either side would be a huge statement of intent and ramp up the pressure on Manchester City and Arsenal even more.