What Kop sang as Alonso statement validated by Slot's brilliant Liverpool

What Kop sang as Xabi Alonso statement validated by Arne Slot's brilliant Liverpool

Liverpool verdict from Paul Gorst after the clash with Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League

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After following up a career that made him one of the most decorated midfielders of his day by becoming arguably the preeminent young coach of European football, the opinion of Xabi Alonso carries plenty of weight.

So when the boss of Bundesliga 'Invincibles' Bayer Leverkusen describes his former team Liverpool as "one of the best, if not the best in Europe", it's a statement that is worth listening to.

Alonso might just be on to something too, you know. Because having won 13 of his first 15 games in charge of the Reds since taking over from Jurgen Klopp in the summer, Arne Slot made it four straight Champions League victories to sail to the top of the new-look and revamped European Cup.

In fact, when Liverpool rip their visitors to shreds with a quite sensational second-half performance - as they did here to win 4-0 against the champions of Germany - then it's fair to say that Alonso was doing more than simply paying lip service to his former club on Monday night.

In a season that is becoming increasingly littered with them, this was the best performance of the campaign for the new leaders of that big old, 36-team Champions League table. Leverkusen’s reputation and standing in the game has been transformed by their manager over the last year or so, but they were treated with something approaching contempt in the second half here as the Reds ran riot. The visitors were blown away.

How much easier that makes things now for the second half of the new European format is an important factor to consider when Liverpool's schedule is assessed over the next few months. With Real Madrid and Lille at home to be followed up by visits to Girona and PSV, Slot's early progress means chopping, changing and a more selective thought process can be adopted for those games as they attempt to navigate their way to the knockout stages while keeping pace domestically at the same time. It’s a delicate balancing act so the breathing space could yet be vital.

Top of the Premier League, the Champions League and with a quarter-final of the Carabao Cup to look forward to, the evidence to back up Alonso's claim inside the bowels of Anfield on Monday night is compelling. Just how far can this Liverpool team go under Slot? The first few months have offered a tantalising glimpse into a hugely exciting future. Consistency is now key.

Alonso also spoke glowingly about the redevelopment of Anfield since his playing days came to an end here over 15 years ago and with well over £200m worth of infrastructure in the shapes of the Main Stand and the Anfield Road now, there was much to admire for the 2005 Champions League winner on his Merseyside return.

One thing that hasn't quite altered since his days of pulling the strings in midfield, however, is Anfield's ability to bend games to its will and it was another stellar showing from those in the stands that helped steer this the way of their team after an hour of largely tepid action where both sides had repeatedly cancelled each other out.

A first half devoid of any real chances saw the match become an intriguing if not exactly exciting affair. Leverkusen's three-man system at the back kept Liverpool at bay and Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk ran a tight ship down the other end.

The decision to rest Darwin Nunez and effectively leave the formation without a recognised No.9 did little to dent Leverkusen's hulking army of Piero Hincapie, Edmond Tapsoba and Jonathan Tah at the back in the opening exchanges. Luis Diaz led the line in Nunez's place and it was the second time in a week, after the Carabao Cup win at Brighton, that Slot was made to field a team without a real striker in it.

For an hour, it looked like a tactical tweak that was yielding little in return but the stunning ball from Curtis Jones that cut Leverkusen's defence to ribbons was given the finish it truly deserved by Diaz, whose impudent dink over Lukas Hradecky was stuck away with all the ease of a recently retired international playing Soccer Aid against celebrity in a pair of gloves.

And like Saturday, when Anfield's temperature soared in the second half against Brighton, an inspired Liverpool scored a second shortly after in response to the noise; this time Cody Gakpo netted his fourth goal in six days, from Mohamed Salah's cross.

Diaz made it 3-0 from another Salah cross when he held off a challenge before almost apologetically putting it past Hradecky, who must have wondered what red whirlwind had been whipped up in front of him. Colombia international Diaz, who now has nine for the season, capped a fine night when substitute Nunez's shot was blocked right into his path for his first Reds hat-trick.

Alonso's team hadn't lost an away game for 18 months, dating all the way back to April 2023 when they were beaten by Bochum and while that record is clearly testament to their quality and the skill of the manager in the dugout, they simply had no answer for Liverpool's blistering display.

The Kop's decision to sing for the opposition manager contained no traces irony and was done with genuine warmth and reverence as the clock ticked towards 90, but any notions that they still harbour a dream of Alonso taking a seat in the home dugout here have been extinguished by the stunning start made by the coach who was actually given the job. Maybe one day, just not anytime soon. It's all about Slot right now, and for good reason.

So, are Liverpool really the best team in Europe right now? The league tables are certainly backing up the astute observation of Alonso.

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