You Can't Spell Arne Slot without elo

Liverpool are the best team in the world according to Opta and ClubElo. Arne Slot is the best football coach in the world too, at least by one statistical measure.

Yes, Liverpool have started well, but let’s reserve judgment until they’ve faced the top teams.

Words to that effect were the preserve of pundits and rival fans in the early weeks of 2024/25. They’re now a joke shared by Liverpool supporters every time they see their team top of the leagues, Premier and Champions.

Even by the remarkable standards of this season - 18 wins from 20 games - the Reds have had an incredible week. They delivered a pair of 2-0 wins against past nemeses, with the score lines flattering the defending champions of Spain and England respectively.

Adding the recent victories over Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa means that Liverpool have won their last four games against Champions League-qualified teams by an aggregate score line of 10-0.

The triumph against Real Madrid took the Reds to the top of Opta’s Power Rankings, crowning them as the best side in the world. They have played 12 matches against other clubs in the current top 40, winning 11. The 2-2 draw at Arsenal gives them 34 points from a possible 36 against this elite bracket of opponent. Liverpool will travel to two more such sides before Christmas, so let’s reserve judgment until they’ve faced the top teams, eh?

By beating Manchester City, the Reds overtook them to ascend to first place in the ClubElo ranking system too. A full explanation of their methodology is available, but essentially teams win or lose points from each other when they play, with opposition strength taken into account. The advantage it holds over Opta is that it stretches back to before the dawn of the European Cup. If you want to rate the Liverpool of today against their predecessors from before even Bill Shankly arrived at Anfield, you can do it.

According to this model, the Reds of Arne Slot are about as good as anything which occurred at the club prior to Jürgen Klopp making them champions of everywhere five years ago. Another advantage of using ClubElo is that you can also check the history of managers. Slot’s record makes for very interesting reading when stacked up against his contemporaries.