New Liverpool manager Arne Slot has quickly established a unique trait: his team wins games late. 

The Reds have now secured five straight victories with goals scored after the 80th minute, including a crucial 92nd-minute header from Captain Virgil van Dijk against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. 

This unbelievable habit has pushed Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table with 12 points, suggesting that Slot’s focus on high fitness levels and mental toughness is giving his squad the decisive edge needed to challenge for trophies this season.

The foundation for this late-game dominance was built early in the Premier League campaign. 

The run began with a dramatic 4-2 home win over Bournemouth on the opening day, where goals from Federico Chiesa (88th minute) and Mohamed Salah (94th minute) sealed the result after a brief fightback from the visitors.

The drama escalated in their second game, an away fixture against Newcastle. 

The Reds snatched a 3-2 victory thanks to a 100th-minute strike from 16-year-old academy prospect Rio Ngumoha, who became the club’s youngest-ever goal scorer.

A home win followed against Arsenal thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s 83rd-minute effort, and then Salah converted a 93rd-minute penalty to earn a gritty 1-0 win over Burnley.

The latest winner from Van Dijk against Atletico Madrid, which was their opening Champions League fixture, solidified the pattern.

Against the tough Spanish side, Liverpool jumped to a quick 2-0 lead only to be pulled back to 2-2 by a Marcos Llorente brace. 

Van Dijk’s late heroics ensured they collected all three points. 

This five-game streak of late deciders is currently the longest in the club’s history.

Stepping into the enormous role left by Jurgen Klopp, Dutch manager Arne Slot has quickly implemented a system that supports this late-game surge. 

While his tactical approach features an aggressive, high-pressing style inherited from his time at Feyenoord, his emphasis on player fitness and tactical flexibility appears to be the real engine behind the late goals.

Slot uses a structure that is more controlled than the “heavy metal” football of the past. 

His tactics often involve full-backs like Jeremie Frimpong pushing high or inverting into midfield to create overloads, while his attackers are encouraged to constantly rotate positions. 

This ensures that when fresh legs like Ngumoha or other substitutes come on late in the game, they are immediately effective against tired defenses.

“A blend of mentality, fitness, and quality was the recipe for another late winner,” Slot remarked after the Champions League victory. 

This focus on pushing his players to maintain their physical output for the full 90 minutes—and beyond—is clearly bearing fruit, giving his squad a decisive psychological and physical edge over opponents in the final stretch of matches.

While the new system and young talents like Ngumoha and Florian Wirtz have provided the spark, the club’s seasoned leaders are crucial to maintaining the “winning mentality” that Van Dijk highlighted. 

At 33, Mohamed Salah remains a talisman, contributing goals and assists in these decisive late moments. 

Van Dijk (34) and Alisson Becker provide the defensive backbone and experience needed to absorb pressure before the team can strike.

With 12 points from four games, Liverpool sits at the top of the Premier League table, three points ahead of rivals like Arsenal and Tottenham, who also have strong starts. 

They are also off to a winning start in the Champions League group stage. This ability to consistently grind out victories, even when not playing their best football for the entire match, is a strong indicator of a team with genuine title-winning credentials. 

The team’s immediate task is to maintain this momentum as they face the Merseyside derby against Everton, where the power of “Slot Time” will be tested again.