What Liverpool supporters did pre-match speaks volumes as Arne Slot way becomes clear

Rarely can creating history have seemed so routine. But such is fast becoming the Liverpool way during the embryonic Arne Slot era. An ultimately comfortable Champions League victory over Bologna saw the Dutchman etch his name in Anfield folklore by becoming the first new boss to earn eight wins in their opening nine games in charge.

And while it may not quite have the blood pumping as under his predecessor Jurgen Klopp, few Liverpool supporters will be complaining if his side continue on this course for the remainder of the campaign.

Of course, it remains very much early days for both Slot and this new-look Champions League stage, making it difficult to truly ascertain the value of results on a night when future opponents RB Leipzig and Real Madrid both lost.

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Best, then, to win first and ask questions later. And while it wasn’t without the occasional misstep – particularly during a frantic period towards half-time – Liverpool got the job done against a Bologna side who looked very much a team which had lost their manager and several leading players since qualifying for the competition last season.

Slot wasn’t the only one setting landmarks on the evening. The cross for Alexis Mac Allister’s opener moved Mohamed Salah on to five goals and five assists in Liverpool’s nine matches this season, the earliest a player has achieved the feat since John Barnes did so in the same time period in 1990.

Salah then underlined his continued love for the Champions League by curling in a second 15 minutes from time to ensure the Reds backed up their win at AC Milan ahead of the more difficult tests against Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen after the next international break.

This, though, wasn’t an occasion that will linger long in the memory despite Liverpool’s 250th game in Europe’s premier club competition marking the return of the Champions League to Anfield after an absence of more than 18 months.

Reds fans haven’t forgotten what happened during and after the final in Paris in 2022. And hearing just the first note of the Champions League anthem was sufficient to prompt jeers from many inside the stadium.

The fans instead were given reason for encouragement by the display of two players in particular. Ryan Gravenberch was once again the stellar performer, revelling in the space afforded to him when pushing forward in midfield but even better with his ability to maintain and steal possession in tight positions. He’s fast becoming a crowd favourite.

What will have perhaps enthused Slot more, though, was the much-improved showing of Dominik Szoboszlai.

Unhappy at being substituted on Saturday after a poor evening at Wolves, this time the Hungarian was given a deserved ovation from the home fans when replaced late on having been involved in both goals during an all-action outing.

Alisson Becker assured there was a fifth clean sheet of the season with two solid saves, although Slot won’t be happy with the manner in which Liverpool almost coughed up an equaliser during an alarming end to the first half.

And a fitful showing up front from Darwin Nunez will have done little to quell the debate over his long-term position in Slot’s side, the Uruguayan surprisingly the only change from the team that struggled to convince at the weekend.

Slot has been reluctant to overly rotate and at times it appeared Liverpool would have benefited from greater energy in parts of the team before the bench provided such assistance in the final half-hour.

Of course, recent memories of both the Champions League and Italian opposition here were unhappy ones for the Reds, humiliated 5-2 at home by Real Madrid in Europe’s elite competition in 2022/23 and last season thumped 3-0 by Atalanta in the Europa League.

But there was no sense of trepidation among the Liverpool players as, in stark contrast to the hesitant opening against Wolves, they were on the front foot from the first whistle.

It meant they merited the early advantage gained through Mac Allister’s 11th-minute strike, a good move started and ended by the Argentine. Having picked up the ball in midfield and played a one-two with Szoboszlai before feeding Nunez inside the area, Mac Allister continued his run so that, after Nunez played wide to Salah, he was on hand to tap in the Egyptian’s inviting cross from close range.

Anfield anticipated a procession. Liverpool, though, collectively took their foot of the gas and allowed Bologna to play their way into the game, not helping themselves by some risky attempts to play through the Italians’ high press.

One such instance saw them cough up possession in a dangerous era with Dan Ndoye eventually having a shot deflected on to the bar by Ibrahima Konate. The same player later hit the post while Bologna had so many players over at the far post at one set-piece they all got in each other’s way.

Alisson had to keep out Riccardo Orsolini at the start of the second half but while Liverpool were not at full pelt, they were able to otherwise keep Bologna at arm’s length.

And it allowed Salah to seal the win when, having been found by Szoboszlai, he drifted in off the left flank, used Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decoy run and thumped in a trademark curler from the edge of the area into the top corner. Another game, another win. This is the Slot way.