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• Slot deserves praise for modest approach to Liverpool job – Mills

  Arne Slot deserves praise for not being "arrogant" with his approach to succeeding Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss, according to Danny Mills.

  The Dutchman has made a hugely positive start to life at Anfield since replacing long-serving Klopp ahead of the 2024-25 season.

  The 28 points Slot has collected is the joint-most of any manager in their opening 11 Premier League games along with Guus Hiddink at Chelsea.

  Liverpool's only blemish on an otherwise perfect start to the top-flight campaign was a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in September.

  Indeed, only in 2019-20 (31 points) have Liverpool collected more points after 11 games of a Premier League season than their 28 this campaign.

  Former Leeds United and Manchester City defender Mills has been particularly impressed by Slot's approach to a new era at Anfield.

  "Arne Slot has surprised me," Mills told Stats Perform. "They did have a difficult defeat against Nottingham Forest at home. That was a defeat not many people saw that coming, but the start he's had is unbelievable. It's incredible.

  "Training might be slightly different, but the style of play is very similar. The players are comfortable with it. They've been high-energy, closing people down, and playing at 100 miles an hour when they win the ball back.

  "It shows managerial intelligence to understand the players' qualities and build on what they had when they were successful. He hasn't overthought it or tinkered too much. 

  "He hasn’t been arrogant and said, 'I'm going to rip it up and start fresh'. It wasn't broken; it was already successful. He's just added to it."

  Liverpool won a first ever Premier League title during Klopp's eight-and-a-half years in charge, as well the Champions League in 2018-19.

  Klopp also lifted the FA Cup, two EFL Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, setting a high benchmark to follow.

  "Liverpool identified the man they wanted, brought him in, and he's been very clever," Mills added. "He looked at the squad and thought, 'these are good players. I don't need to change too much'. 

  "That's smart because Liverpool were very successful under Klopp. If you come in and rip up the playbook and it doesn't work, players will question why they're not doing what worked under Klopp."

  Liverpool have conceded just six goals in the Premier League this season – four fewer than next-best Nottingham Forest.

  They are conceding at a rate of around 0.5 goals per game, compared to around 1.1 in Klopp's final season in charge (41 goals in 38 matches).

  "Slot has tweaked things slightly, maybe made them more defensively solid, which they needed to really challenge," Mills said. "Championship-winning or Champions League-winning teams are built on solid defences. 

  "You don't win without that. He's shored up the defence and allowed the players to continue doing what they were doing before."

• Brazil 1-1 Uruguay: Valverde and Gerson hit superb goals in drab spectacle

  Brazil recovered from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw at home to a stubborn Uruguay side in Tuesday's CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier.

  The hosts were booed by some quarters of their own support in Salvador following the result, which leaves them fifth in the table and five points inside the automatic qualification places.

  It was a match of few chances punctuated by two moments of world-class quality, with Uruguay striking first.

  Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde opened the scoring 10 minutes into the first half, curling into the bottom corner from the edge of the area to put Uruguay a goal up.

  But seven minutes later, Gerson scored his first goal for his country to level things up, a brilliant volley from outside the box.

  The draw has Uruguay in second place, two points above Brazil, who could have won it if not for Sergio Rochet's fine save to deny Gabriel Martinelli, and five behind leaders Argentina with six matches remaining.

  Data debrief: Brazil struggle to break down Bielsa's Uruguay

  Despite Raphinha, Vinicius Junior and Gabriel Martinelli all featuring in this game, Brazil could not find the quality to regularly trouble their visitors.

  The home side managed just three shots on target during the match – one more than Uruguay.

  While they won the xG battle 1.09 - 0.47, it will be a disappointment that they had 18 attempts in total and could only divert so few goalwards.

• Brazil 1-1 Uruguay: Valverde and Gerson hit spuerb goals in drab spectacle

  Brazil recovered from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw at home to a stubborn Uruguay side in Tuesday's CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier.

  The hosts were booed by some quarters of their own support in Salvador following the result, which leaves them fifth in the table and five points inside the automatic qualification places.

  It was a match of few chances punctuated by two moments of world-class quality, with Uruguay striking first.

  Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde opened the scoring 10 minutes into the first half, curling into the bottom corner from the edge of the area to put Uruguay a goal up.

  But seven minutes later, Gerson scored his first goal for his country to level things up, a brilliant volley from outside the box.

  The draw has Uruguay in second place, two points above Brazil, who could have won it if not for Sergio Rochet's fine save to deny Gabriel Martinelli, and five behind leaders Argentina with six matches remaining.

  Data debrief: Brazil struggle to break down Bielsa's Uruguay

  Despite Raphinha, Vinicius Junior and Gabriel Martinelli all featuring in this game, Brazil could not find the quality to regularly trouble their visitors.

  The home side managed just three shots on target during the match – one more than Uruguay.

  While they won the xG battle 1.09 - 0.47, it will be a disappointment that they had 18 attempts in total and could only divert so few goalwards.