GALLERY PHOTOS 🐯Liverpool vs Arsenal winners and losers as midfield duo shine, defender struggles

Liverpool is now 2-0 in the Arne Slot era after another friendly win, this time defeating Arsenal 2-1 from Philadelphia with Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho scoring

Zinchenko struggled to contain Salah on the right

Liverpool picked up their second win in two friendlies under new manager Arne Slot, beating Arsenal 2-1 in front of a historic, sold-out crowd in Philadelphia.

The Reds initially struggled to apply Slot’s more deliberate approach against Arsenal’s relentless pressure, giving the ball away several times deep in the defensive third and ultimately being fortunate not to fall behind.

But the first-half scoring came from the wide men, as Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho converted a pair of brilliant balls from Harvey Elliott to forge a decisive two-goal advantage through 33 minutes. Kai Havertz halved the deficit, bundling home a scrambled finish in front of goal, but the Gunners were unable to find an equaliser despite controlling play in the second half.

Here are five winners and losers from Wednesday’s friendly affair.

Winners

Harvey Elliott brilliant in midfield return

Liverpool’s tantalising young star whipped Reds fans into another frenzy upon his return to midfield Wednesday, unlocking the Arsenal backline with a pair of brilliant passes. His first involvement facilitated a rapid Liverpool counterattacking move, benefitting from Diogo Jota’s tremendous hold-up play and delivering a perfectly weighted ball to meet Salah’s rapid diagonal run, who continued to outpace the Gunner’s defense and bury a left-footed finish.

Elliott once again assumed possession atop the penalty area 20 minutes later and delivered a brilliant chipped ball to Fabio Carvalho. With acres of space at the goalmouth, the left-winger buried his volleyed attempt into the bottom corner before acknowledging Elliott with an immediate embrace.

The 21-year-old was comparatively anonymous in Liverpool’s first game, partnering with Dominik Szoboszlai to form an unorthodox centre-forward duo. Elliott has spoken publically about the difficult transition to Slot’s management, with Wednesday’s performance underscoring his adaptability and faith in the Dutch manager.

“It’s very hard,” Elliott told Liverpool.com. “You know, it’s a completely different style of play, completely different style of tactics but, you know, that’s what happens in football. You need to adapt, you need to learn it.”

Dominik Szoboszlai: Liverpool’s savior in defensive midfield?

Szoboszlai dropped a level further than his former strike partner and slotted in alongside Curtis Jones as Liverpool’s second defensive midfielder, with the importance of these double pivots in Slot’s system evident through the Reds’ second friendly. While Szoboszlai has typically featured as a No. 8 since arriving in Anfield last summer, he was brilliant in a deeper-lying role Wednesday night and could fill a noted hole in the Liverpool roster.

The Hungarian was steady in possession and flashed his defensive chops early on, cutting out a potent Arsenal move from the left wing with a sliding interception. Brilliant technical skill from Szoboszlai set up Liverpool’s stunning second goal later in the half, surviving a heavy first touch to weave past Martin Odegaard and find Harvey Elliott at the top of the box.

Hungarian national team boss Marco Rossi had previously stated that defensive midfield might be Szoboszlai’s best position and more stellar performances in the double pivot might quell Liverpool’s fans’ anxiety about the club’s transfer market inactivity.

A Premier League crowd in Philadelphia

Wednesday’s matchup of two Premier League giants certainly featured a crowd worthy of the occasion, with 69,879 fans — the largest ever crowd for football at the Eagles’ stadium — filling up just about every seat in Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. Liverpool’s iconic “You’ll Never Walk Alone” tune rang in the first-half proceedings and many of the clubs’ most recognizable chants could be heard 3,500 miles away from home.

Plenty of exuberant American flair melded with these rich English traditions, as a smattering of fireworks shrouded the opening kickoff in a cloud of smoke and more pyrotechnics launched from the rooftop after each goal. Wednesday’s event also observed a brief moment of silence for the Southport mass stabbing attack that killed three children.

Wednesday’s match set the football attendance record at Lincoln Financial

Losers

Near disaster for Caoimhin Kelleher

While many Liverpool players have vocalized their growing pains in Slot’s management and more deliberate building, few have looked more flustered than Kelleher. The young goalkeeper nearly cemented himself as the premier, unquestioned loser of the evening as his early attempted pass was intercepted by an Arsenal before trickling harmlessly away for a goal kick.

Kelleher struggled through numerous unsightly moments in possession and distribution but came through in a pair of crucial contributions that cemented Liverpool’s victory. His well-placed 50-yard ball to Jota was one of just two passes in Liverpool’s quick-fire opening movement, while a crucial second-half save helped the Reds maintain a slim 2-1 advantage.

More defensive woes for Oleksandr Zinchenko

Zinchenko struggled to assuage the concerns among Arsenal fans regarding the Ukrainian’s defensive woes, allowing Salah to drive the Liverpool attack forward several times down the right wing. He was particularly exposed on Liverpool’s rapid opening goal, unable to track the Egyptian’s run from midfield and ultimately outrun by several Arsenal players.