Andy Robertson: Liverpool ‘sustainable’ again after poor form

Andy Robertson believes regaining control in matches has been pivotal to Liverpool’s first back-to-back victories in six weeks.

The most significant aspect of their 1-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid was arguably not the result, but the nature of the performance, dominating throughout and restricting their star-studded opponents to just two shots on target.

After six defeats in seven matches — coming after seven successive wins from the start of the season — Arne Slot’s side have steadied the ship and they did it in some style against the 15-time European champions.

Successive cleans sheets for the first time since September have been a significant factor and Robertson believes that is what they have to focus on as, even in their impressive start to the campaign, they were conceding goals.

“That’s where results start. Too many times this season we’ve had to score three goals to win games and stuff like that and you can’t keep doing that,” the Scotland captain told LFCTV.

“At the start of the season we were doing that well and still winning the games, but that’s not sustainable.

“It’s sustainable when you win games with clean sheets and win 1-0 or 2-0 and things like that.

“Of course, you’re going to concede goals now and again, but it’s about having that control and I think we’ve got that back in the last two games.

“It’s important now that we have to be consistent — that was the message before the game, we need the consistency back in the game, and I think we really brought that.”

Robertson has started the last three matches, having regained his place after £40million summer signing Milos Kerkez’s difficult start to the season, and it may be asking a lot for the 31-year-old to play a third game in a week at Manchester City on Sunday.

But on the other flank Conor Bradley is starting to find his feet again after injuries and put in a brilliant performance in shutting out Vinícius Júnior all night, having done the same against Kylian Mbappé in the same fixture a year ago.

“Very good. Outstanding,” was captain Virgil van Dijk’s assessment.

“He held his own against one of the best wingers in recent times so he was outstanding.

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“The intensity of the games is incredible so you have to look after yourself and now he obviously played two good games, like the rest of the team, and so it is recovery and on to the next one.”

The task gets no easier at the Etihad at the weekend and Slot has a big selection decision to make, having made just one change for the meeting with Madrid.

But Robertson said the performance had provided the squad with a real boost.

“We’ve put a lot into this week already and it’s going to be difficult, but we obviously go there with more confidence than we had last week so that’s pleasing,” the Scot said.