Arne Slot confirmed that Jarell Quansah’s substitution before the second half was a tactical decision rather than due to any injury concerns.
The former Feyenoord manager highlighted Liverpool’s struggles in winning duels across the pitch, with Ibrahima Konaté’s aerial strength providing a significant boost in the second half.
Slot explained on TNT Sports, “The first thing I said was that there’s no point discussing tactics if we’re losing so many duels, which is what happened.
It wasn’t just Jarell [Quansah]; many of us lost too many duels. But I felt we needed Ibou Konaté to win those long balls in the air from their No.9.”
Konaté’s introduction helped Liverpool regain control, with the Dutch manager noting that Chelsea’s high-energy play in the first half couldn’t be sustained, which contributed to Liverpool’s improved performance in the second half.
Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Chelsea briefly put them ahead of Manchester United at the top of the league table. Their next match is against Brentford at Anfield on Sunday, August 25. (https://tessmanseed.com/)
Slot’s decision to substitute Quansah was vindicated by the improved performance. While Quansah didn’t have a poor first half, Slot’s change proved crucial, as Konaté won 4 out of 5 duels (including 75% of aerial duels), improving upon Quansah’s 50% duel win rate in the first half.
This move demonstrated Slot’s decisive management, which bodes well for Liverpool’s 2024/25 campaign.
