Liverpool Champions League hopes: What does Arne Slot's new system mean for Mo Salah and the Premier League's top-four race?

Premier League champions Liverpool have failed to defend their title in 2025-26, and with eight games to play in the top-flight, their secondary goal of qualifying for the Champions League is also at risk.

Back in November, the Reds' 4-1 humiliation at the hands of PSV Eindhoven marked their 9th defeat in 12 games - their worst run since the 1953-54 season - and heading into this weekend's showdown with Brighton & Hove Albion, the club have dropped five points from the last six on offer.

However, in the aftermath of the Merseysiders' disappointing 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday, Arne Slot made considerable changes to his system, enabling an emphatic 4-0 hammering of Galatasaray to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the stylistic alterations that Liverpool made in that round of 16 clash, and considers the potential implications of their new look on the Premier League's top-four race.

Liverpool 4-0 Galatasaray: The renewed intensity of Arne Slot's Champions League comeback

After losing 1-0 against Galatasaray in the first leg of the tie at RAMS Park, Liverpool fans had doubts about the potential for their side to recover the deficit, despite the club's longstanding history of European comebacks.

That feeling was only compounded by the disappointment of dropping points against Tottenham in the days before the second leg, a result that was met by boos from a frustrated Anfield crowd.

However, when the Merseysiders began Wednesday's clash against Gala by kicking the ball long into the corner to create a pressing opportunity, it set the tone for what was to come.

One of the biggest criticisms faced by Slot in recent weeks has been in relation to the lack of intensity from the Reds, a stark contrast to both the 2024-25 campaign as well as the years under Jurgen Klopp, which were defined by hard work across the pitch.

Such criticisms were met with arguably Liverpool's strongest pressing performance of the campaign so far, during which the Premier League champions showed an ability to consistently force turnovers in the visiting defence.

This enabled the forward line to take advantage of promising situations before the opposition could reform their backline, a key factor in the win considering that the Reds have often struggled to break settled defences down in open play this season.

The effectiveness of such a change can easily be seen in the fact that Liverpool created 3.85 xG from open play on Wednesday night, generating 32 shots, 16 of which were on target.

By contrast, Slot's side managed just 1.65 open play xG against Tottenham three days earlier, 1.22 in the tie's first leg, and 0.63 in their 2-1 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers on March 3.

Liverpool's new shape platformed Mo Salah, Florian Wirtz to be at their best

That being said, the display was conjured by more than sheer running power, as the manager set up with a shape designed to get his forwards into more dangerous positions.

Liverpool have frequently set up in a nominal 4-2-3-1 shape this season, deploying both Salah and Cody Gakpo on the wings, closer to the touchline than in the past.

This tactical decision has seen the Egyptian's touches both overall and in the box reduced noticeably, one of the main contributing factors behind his significantly reduced output.

However, Slot lined up with a system more resembling a 4-1-2-1-2 in possession on Wednesday, dropping Gakpo in favour of starting Wirtz behind a strike partnership of Salah and Eiktike.

This served both to move Salah closer to the goal, where he has proven to be the one of the club's greatest ever scorers, as well as enabling Wirtz to operate in a role more akin to that of his days at Leverkusen, where he would often feature behind or to the left of a front two.

To replace the 33-year-old's presence out wide, Slot tasked full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez with providing width and overlapping runs, trusting Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboslzai and Ryan Gravenberch to maintain control in the centre of the park.

Salah did go on to miss a penalty and a one-on-one chance against Cimbom, but he has always been an attacker that succeeds by consistently getting chances in greater volume than other similar forwards.

The fact that the Egyptian was able to provide a goal and assist, while also being at the heart of Liverpool's second-half blitz more broadly, suggests that moving him closer to the goal could platform his strengths more effectively going forward.

What impact could Arne Slot's Liverpool system have on the Premier League's top-four race?

If the Reds can replicate the level of performance that they showed in midweek in the Premier League, then they would likely be seen as favourites to make the top four ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Aston Villa.

However, Slot mentioned in his pre-Brighton press conference that teams in the English top flight do not usually play as open as Galatasaray, repeatedly stating that "Styles make fights," and arguing that such a system would not function against deep blocks from the likes of Leeds United and Sunderland.

This suggests that the boss could revert to his usual methods when facing more stubborn opponents during the run-in, though given that the Reds have struggled to break down low blocks in 2025-26, upcoming fixtures against Everton, Crystal Palace and Brentford could prove problematic.

To make matters worse, Salah was substituted in the second half against Gala due to an injury, and with the forward out for a number of weeks - not to mention the long-term layoff suffered by Alexander Isak - the Merseysiders are missing a natural fit to start alongside Ekitike.

That being said, Liverpool are set to play Brighton on Saturday, and considering that Fabian Hurzeler has been one of the most vocal coaches speaking out against the growing gamesmanship and defensive focus in Premier League football, the Reds could be in for a more open contest.

With that in mind, Slot could opt to stick with a similar 4-1-2-1-2 shape against the Seagulls, starting Gakpo next to Ekitike, while potentially moving Szoboszlai out wide to right back and bringing Curtis Jones into midfield if Frimpong is unable to start.