Smooth-sailing Liverpool face more than one storm

Liverpool are accustomed to hearing their fans singing about walking through a storm.

- RICHARD JOLLY

Yet Arne Slot has scarcely experienced one throughout the smoothness of his start. If 18 wins in 21 games amounts to a storm, it is the sort many a manager would like to experience. Now he faces one; certainly of the meteorological variety, perhaps of the footballing kind.

Slot’s maiden Merseyside derby will come during Storm Darragh. There is the prospect, too, of Storm Dyche. Jurgen Klopp’s chances of a second Premier League title were finished at Goodison Park in April. Now, in a 19th-century ground’s final derby – barring an FA Cup tie – Slot’s prospects of a first could be dented, for the second time in a week.

As Sean Dyche’s Everton scored four goals from set pieces against Wolves, as Caoimhin Kelleher misjudged a Bruno Guimaraes free kick before Newcastle’s late leveller on Wednesday, it could seem the worst fixture to have now, when gusts of wind could have a sizeable impact on the outcome.

“You have to take this into consideration with the choices you make, I am not talking about the line-up but the execution,” said Slot. “Everton is definitely a team that can score from a set piece.” So, he added, are Liverpool: it was only last week when Cody Gakpo headed in against Real Madrid after a well-worked corner.