Liverpool showed in 17 seconds how they want to play under Arne Slot

It only takes 17 seconds and involves nine passes and six field players.

But the sequence of play that Liverpool set up in the 60th minute of their 2-0 win over Brentford last Sunday gave a glimpse of what life at Liverpool under Arne Slot could be like: fast, fluid and entertaining.

First, the context. Slot's side were about to press for the second week in a row. Just like in the opening game of the season at Ipswich Town, Liverpool's opponents began to falter under the relentless pressure. The difference in the Brentford game was that Luis Diaz had already put Liverpool ahead, so there was a little more freedom in the attacking areas, although there wasn't as much urgency or need for a goal due to the early lead.

Short, sharp passes in a more compact formation are a new theme for this developing slot team, and there was plenty of movement to complement a dominant performance.

There was one moment that stood out, though. It was eye-catching at the time and sparked huge cheers at Anfield, but it was even more satisfying when you rewound it and could see every little detail over and over again.

By this point in the game, Trent Alexander-Arnold had become a real threat, evident in his high positioning and clever footwork.

Salah was also able to call on the quick feet of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister up front, using all three players for one-twos (the image below shows his ability), and almost put the finishing touches to one of the most beautiful Anfield goals of all time and an early contender for goal of the season.

Brentford defensive midfielder Vitaly Janelt spoiled the fun and almost prevented a goal. Janelt had earlier collided with the referee and was unable to prevent Salah receiving not one but two passes on the edge of the box as he spun from right to left. But when it mattered, he was there.

Salah immediately raised his hands to applaud his teammates who were brilliant in the build-up, but there is no denying that he was the main player here.

The Egyptian always starts the season well and looks better now after a break. Perhaps the new regime at Liverpool has also breathed new life into him and given him the freedom to express himself more when in possession.

Believe it or not, this was Liverpool in freestyle mode. Slot is very specific with his demands to “make every pass count”, form a solid defensive platform and win the ball back quickly when out of possession, but he does offer a certain amount of flexibility to his attackers.

“Mo has set up three or four combinations and we don't train things like that,” admitted Slot in his post-match press conference. “It's simply down to the quality of the players. We try to get them on the offensive as often as possible so they can create chances. The difficulty is to do it 10 out of 10 times.”

GO DEEPER

This is how Arne Slot plays football – and can it work for Liverpool?

Such freedoms, admittedly in an otherwise structured environment, are a refreshing approach from a head coach finding his way in the Premier League. Allowing players to create their own angles feels more purposeful than the transitional style of last season. It's early days, with only two games played (both against opponents Liverpool would normally beat), but Slot's side have the Premier League's highest xG (5.31), which shows the quality of their chances created.

Slot sometimes plays in a 3-5-2 formation and looks to bring between five and seven players into the attacking zone. Szoboszlai in particular attacks further forward, as seen against Brentford.

This happened in the second half, just before the start of the game, and you can see Szoboszlai moving into an advanced zone…

It's the same down below. Szoboszlai has moved forward and, with his back to the goal, is trying to bring others into play, especially Salah.

The same thing happened in the second half against Ipswich. The game feels very much like the 'new Liverpool' as the forwards are relatively compact, although this time Alexander-Arnold offers width to stretch the back line and create space in the middle.

In the same game, Szoboszlai could be seen charging into the box as one of the most advanced strikers and doing exactly what Slot wanted by filling the box with attacking players.

Szoboszlai's role as a wanderer is an early indicator of Slot's attacking spirit, and the deeper players in the front six or seven, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexander-Arnold, don't really let up in terms of strength or quality.

Liverpool arguably have the most accomplished midfield, especially in possession, with Gravenberch having brought a new twist to the game from the No. 6 position. In the win over Brentford, Liverpool completed 92 percent of passes – the highest in over 20 years – but it is too early to say whether the loss of Martin Zubimendi, who has decided to stay at Real Sociedad, will hurt the team over the course of the season.

The idea of ​​playing more compactly is that the ball moves between players quicker and the opposition has less time to defend. This was clearly evident in the move that had so many Liverpool fans talking about the exciting times ahead.

It was a clever, spontaneous move and – fans hope – a taste of what is to come.