A collective sigh of relief passed across Merseyside as Liverpool got back to winning ways, with Arne Slot now facing the prospect of leaning into a much-loved Jurgen Klopp principle for the foreseeable.Liverpool 2-0 Aston VillaPremier League (10) | AnfieldNovember 1, 2025Goals: Salah 45+1′, Gravenberch 58′1. Slot stumbles upon Klopp formulaReturning from the international break and amassing yet more defeats meant this really was a call-to-action evening for Slot. Not exactly panic stations but, let’s be fair, not far off at all.Liverpool Football Club simply cannot go on a sustained losing run at Anfield. That just isn’t in the script, ever.And so this evening Slot made a few subtle yet correct choices. Deploying Andy Robertson back into the XI was widely called for and needed to happen. The presence of the old head added a greater measure of calm to Virgil van Dijk’s evening.Likewise in the final third; allowing Dominik Szoboszlai to maraud in his favoured No. 10 berth helped free a bit of tension from Mo Salah’s shoulders. These two understand each other, and the familiarity brought about better forward runs as a result.A few paces behind, in the deeper midfield, the struggling Alexis Mac Allister appeared at greater comfort with the return of Ryan Gravenberch’s athletic, lung-busting presence, and there was slightly better flow and cohesion to Liverpool as a result.Was it perfect? Far from it. But this suggests Slot will now go back to the tried and tested. How does this relate to Klopp?In turn, such measures will lead to the likes of Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz waiting their turns on the sidelines. A further bedding in process, biding time and being eased back into proceedings later down the line, whenever that may be, into a settled side.A tried and tested Klopp tactic, the former gaffer was a huge fan of the slow yet thorough transition.We didn’t see Robertson nor Fabinho for months after those two respective signings were sealed. Remember that? It’s perhaps not commercially attractive to have your big signings on the sidelines, but sometimes it can be for the best. 2. Salah’s soul-searching isn’t necessaryThere is no avoiding the obvious fact that Mo Salah hasn’t been at the races this season. The past few appearances have been uncharacteristically poor. And, worryingly, it hasn’t been a case of ‘Mo is just slipping below his own impossibly high standards’.Over the past month Salah has just unfortunately been turning in some pretty pitiful match offerings. But he’s human. A human athlete who, at 33, is still in pristine condition.It’s been a reminder that everyone is fallible, and given the wholesale shake-up Salah was bound to be impacted. But here, we got the Egyptian King putting in the work, getting the job done and – naturally – picking up another goal for the tally. Now just the fourth player to hit 250 for the club.Is it hyperbole to say “he’s back?” Probably. This wasn’t a classic Salah blockbuster, but that didn’t really matter. It was a strong, solid performance with constant effort and lots of boxes ticked.The evidence served up showed a footballer who is still reading the game two steps ahead, as Emi Martinez well discovered. A footballer who is making the right runs and a footballer who still terrifies opposition into doubling up on him, irrespective of recent stuttering form.His recent masterful snapshot control and finish against Brentford put to bed any fears that his eye for goal is waning. This isn’t a player who needs to start soul-searching. This is a club legend who just needs the rub of the green again and to discover his new niche within a rapidly evolving Liverpool team. It will come. 3. Build around Hugo EkitikeIt’s past the point of excessive tinkering now – craft the forward line around Hugo Ekitike as a focal point.The youngster started his Reds career in flying form, and his adept taking to Premier League football isn’t a timely gimmick. Ekitike seriously fits the profile of this division and has an uncanny knack of finding movement patterns which make defenders grimace.He was a constant nuisance in the opening stages and his off-the-ball play was subtle yet striking in how it helped open pockets for Salah.The movement to bury a header for the potential opener was blockbuster until the linesman had his say. His link-up play is always both inventive and meticulous, with the Frenchman always seeming to both establish and assess a few different options for himself before releasing a pass, despite the greater pace of Premier League football.Ekitike still remains rough around some edges but these are the edges of an exciting diamond. The lad needs to be allowed to flourish and handed a license to continue puffing out his chest and preening his feathers.The return of Alexander Isak cannot serve as a momentum hammer blow, or Slot could be back to square one. 4. Midfield will restore the RedsAll departments have been lacking this season, as Liverpool struggle to come to terms with the new revised remit ahead of them. The constant reassurance is the depth of quality within this squad; Slot has some formidable players that make him the envy of managers across Europe.But if one thing is for sure, it’s the midfield engine room that will be responsible for making sure the Liverpool juggernaut gets back in full flow.Gravenberch’s elegance, coupled with the persistence of Szoboszlai this season means we’re not far off. Both players put in a solid shift this evening, with the latter very much emerging as the player of the campaign to date.Once the midfield clicks back into gear, with all hopes pinned on Mac Allister re-finding his feet, it’s difficult not to feel that it will be a floodgates moment.Confidence restored, spirits renewed kind of territory. Throughout the entire Klopp era and last season under Slot, all the big games were decided by the engine room, the beating heart of Liverpool’s tactical titan.A composed midfield, renewed with confidence will serve as the perfect breeding ground to reintroduce the likes of Florian Wirtz and allow the big money signing some freedom to operate.Until the buoyancy of this particular ship is established however, the teething process will continue. 5. Anfield believesA word on this mighty stadium and the lifeblood within it that powers this team on, week-in-week-out. There isn’t anyone who can tell you that Anfield doesn’t believe Liverpool will get out of this rut.The anthems boomed, last season’s ‘A Liverbird Upon My Chest’ rally cry reverberating, despite these lads still being a shadow of their peak selves from the previous campaign.Every tackle celebrated and each poor piece of officiating jeered.The best chant? The guttural and repeated roar of ‘Arne Slot!’ moments after Gravenberch’s effort rippled the back of the Kop end goal to double the lead. The manager seriously needed that.When Anfield turns up, Liverpool turn up. It needs to continue.