Martin Keown believes Liverpool under Arne Slot could become even better than Jurgen Klopp’s title-winning team.
The Reds’ legendary boss Klopp left in the summer after a glittering nine-year stint that included Premier League and Champions League success.
Klopp won an incredible nine trophies in as many years at Liverpoolgetty
Slot has so far been a hugely successful replacementGetty
Slot was announced as his successor and there would understandably have been doubts over the team’s future after a dramatic change in regime.
However, any doubts have quickly been quashed, with the Reds winning all but one of their 11 matches across all competitions so far this season under their new manager.
Liverpool’s latest triumph came in a 2-1 home victory over Chelsea on Sunday, a victory that maintained their seat at the top of the Premier League table.
It continued Slot’s excellent start to life in the Anfield dugout, and a certain Arsenal legend is impressed.
Invincibles hero Keown believes Slot’s side could even surpass Klopp’s all-conquering Reds team.
“I expected Liverpool to start well,” he said on Monday’s White and Jordan show on talkSPORT.
“If I take you back to last season, it was a three-horse race for the title until Klopp suddenly said, ‘I’m leaving the building’, the Klopp coddle didn’t really resonate anymore and they just fell off a cliff.
“This was a good group, there was a remaking of the team who was going after it again, [Dominik] Szoboszlai, [Ryan] Gravenberch, [Cody] Gakpo, [Luis] Diaz, [Darwin] Nunez, all top signings, spent a lot of money.
“They were ready for success and then they lost that love with the manager, he went.
“Let’s take nothing away from Klopp, because this is the foundation of what Klopp has created.
Liverpool are firm contenders for this season’s Premier League titleGetty
Keown believes Slot’s Liverpool could become better than Klopp’s teamtalkSPORT
“But this new guy has come in and he’s smart, he’s intelligent, he’s a good communicator, he’s getting really good results.
“He knows he didn’t need to buy in the summer because it was all in place ready to go.”
Jim White then asked: “So, from an Arsenal perspective, do you fear them now?”
Keown admitted: “Of course, and I did anyway at the start of the season, I knew it would be a three-horse race.
“I like the way it’s a bit more controlled, you know, you could have said, ‘Maybe it was a bit crazy, Klopp’, but this is calmer. I like the way the manager is communicating.”
“Is this a better version of Liverpool we’re now seeing now?” White then asked, with Keown responding: “It can be.
“I think they’re enriched by Klopp and then when a new man comes into the building, when often you get this really big leader that steps out the building and then everyone else takes ownership of it because it’s still a good journey.
“And I think that’s what I’m watching at Liverpool, amazing atmosphere, very good game yesterday against a good Chelsea team, and everyone getting an opportunity to do well.
“Curtis Jones, he was looking through and hasn’t started too many games, but he’s coming in and he was brilliant yesterday.”
Jones won the foul for Mohamed Salah’s penalty and then scored Liverpool’s winner against Chelsea.
The Reds are one point ahead of the unbeaten reigning champions Manchester City with eight Premier League matches played.
Slot has hit the ground running four months into the jobGetty
Liverpool also have the best defence in the league with only three goals conceded, with their only defeat of the season being 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.
Two victories have also come in the Champions League league phase against Italian sides AC Milan and Bologna.
Slot’s side next face RB Leipzig away from home in the competition on Wednesday night, live on talkSPORT, and could extend their total season wins tally to an excellent 11.
They then return to Premier League action on Sunday away at title rivals Arsenal, where victory would take them seven points clear of the Gunners.
