[Source: Reuters]
Liverpool kicked off the Arne Slot era in style with a 2-0 win at Ipswich Town in their opening Premier League game on Saturday, their first competitive match without Juergen Klopp at the helm in nine years.
Dutchman Slot will be expected to lead a Liverpool title challenge, as will Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta whose side opened with a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
While Slot enjoyed an encouraging start to his reign, so did Brighton and Hove Albion’s 31-year-old Fabian Huerzeler, the Premier League’s youngest-ever permanent manager, as his team won convincingly 3-0 at 10-man Everton.
Manchester United opened the new top-flight season on Friday with a 1-0 home defeat of Fulham while Manchester City, bidding for a record-extending fifth successive English title, begins against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Klopp may be gone, but the key components of his team remain, including Mohamed Salah who sealed the points at Portman Road on his 350th appearance for the club in all competitions.
The 32-year-old Egyptian’s close-range finish from Dominik Szoboszlai’s pass, five minutes after Diogo Jota’s opener, was his ninth goal on the opening weekend of a Premier League season, more than any other player.
Ipswich were playing their first top-flight game since 2002 after back-to-back promotions and held their own for an hour in front of a vociferous Portman Road crowd.