It was clear at the end of last season that Liverpool needed to tighten things up defensively if they were to provide a strong challenge for the title.

They finished third, nine points behind winners Manchester City and seven behind second-place Arsenal, while the Reds had the worst defensive record of the top three, conceding seven more goals than City and 12 more than the Gunners.

So far this season, however, Arsenal have let in four more goals than Liverpool while City have conceded six more.

There is, of course, a long way to go but that is already an encouraging turnaround.

On the face of it, little appears to have changed at the back for the Reds.

The defence remains a familiar and experienced one with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk and Andy Robertson all starting when fit, while Ibrahima Konate is proving Slot’s favoured option to start alongside his captain at centre-back.

That centre-back pairing is flourishing. After the first seven games of last season Liverpool had faced 101 shots on goal, compared to just 64 this season, but Slot believes they offer more than just keeping out goals.

“They have been terrific throughout the whole season to now, not only in defending but the way they start our attacks in a good way,” he said.

“So many good things with the ball and also without the ball.”

Following the impressive 3-0 win against Manchester United last month, Robertson spoke about how there felt to be more control in defence under Slot.

“We look a bit more secure defensively,” he said after the Old Trafford victory.

“We had a lot more control in our game. A clean sheet is massive. To come away to your big rivals like Manchester United and keep a clean sheet is massive.”

Ketlen Vieira has a point to prove at UFC 307.

The UFC veteran once again enters a fight looking to earn a shot at the bantamweight title with a victory, and feels it may finally come if she beats two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison this Saturday in Salt Lake City, especially with all the hype surrounding the former PFL champion.

“I think she underestimates me,” Vieira said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “When she says she’s better than me in all areas, she’s underestimating me. She’s a very good athlete, she’s a Olympic medalist for a reason, but she’s not better than me in everything because she’s completely dependent on taking the fight to the ground. We haven’t seen her trade on the feet for three rounds. Maybe she can do that in the future, but I don’t see that right now.”

Harrison said during the UFC 307 media day on Wednesday she believes she “can beat all three girls in the same night,” referring to her upcoming opponent and both UFC 307 co-headliners, Raquel Pennington and Julianna Peña.

Harrison has only fought once inside the octagon, dominating and finishing Holm with a rear-naked choke. Vieira also holds a win over Holm, as well as Miesha Tate, Cat Zingano and Sara McMann.

“I’m used to this already,” Vieira said. “People always say I’m the underdog and I’m still here, beating the best. I’ve been here many times before. When I fought McMann the winner would fight for the belt, and I won. When I fought Cat Zingano, who was the only woman to beat Amanda [Nunes in the UFC], the winner would go for the belt, and I won. I beat two other ex-champions, Miesha and Holly. I’m used to big fights. People have short memory and continue to underestimate me.”

Vieira sees the Harrison clash as a “semifinal” to determine the next contender in the 135-pound division, and expects Pennington to successfully defend her throne Saturday against Peña.

“It’s a great fight for me,” Vieira said of Harrison. “I’m more complete than Kayla, I have more tools. I have good ground game and good judo as well. You can’t learn to defend judo takedowns in judo, but that’s something I’ve done my entire life. And I’m also evolving on the feet. I’m getting more complete every day. If I have to grapple with her, I will. If I have to trade with her, I will. She can’t do the same because she completely dependent on her ground game.”

While some experts are picking the upset, famed MMA coach Firas Zahabi aligns with the oddsmakers ahead of the UFC 307 main event.

On Saturday, Alex Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against fellow striker Khalil Rountree, and he enters the bout as high as a -500 favorite on some betting lines. Zahabi, head coach of Tristar and long-time mentor of Georges St-Pierre, sees this championship bout as an easy pick.

“Do I believe Khalil Rountree has a chance to win? Yeah, I do, but I don’t think he will win,” Zahabi said on his YouTube channel. “Why? Pereira has seen everything Khalil Rountree brings to the table.”

Although he’s picking Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC), Zahabi respects what Rountree (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) has done in his career and has a high appreciation for his fighting style.

“He’s a very classic style may Thai fighter, very classic,” Zahabi said regarding Rountree. “He’s a power-punching southpaw. Most of his fighting, 90 percent of his fighting is southpaw, more than that. He has an incredible, powerful left hand. He can get things done. He’s a powerful kicker. He’ got a wonderful muay Thai clinch with knees and elbows, but he’s mostly about the punching and kicking. …. He’s never attempted a single takedown in his career. I went through all his fights. I’ve never recalled a single takedown, not one. Maybe like a trip, but he’s not trying to get guys to the ground. He’s not trying to shoot on Pereira. He’s never won via submission.”

Zahabi thinks highly of Rountree’s striking, but even higher of what “Poatan” brings to the table.

“Pereira has that left hook, and that left hook is more unique, more special,” Zahabi said “Pereira is taller, longer range, more seasoned. That’s the way I see this. He’s just more seasoned. He’s beat bigger names. Pereira has been through more five-round fights, bigger fights, more legendary opponents, cleaner record. I predict that Pereira can win this fight handily. I’m giving him a 65/35 (percent chance). I usually don’t cover fights when I think they’re this lopsided.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Julianna Peña says she will do whatever is necessary to beat Raquel Pennington to regain the UFC women’s bantamweight title this Saturday at UFC 307.

“If I got to poke her eyeballs out, if I got a bite her on the freaking finger, I’m going to literally do whatever I can to get my hand raised,” Peña told MMA Fighting. “I don’t care, come hell or high water, I guarantee you I am willing to die in there, as you guys have seen. ’m not going to stop until I get the victory.

“So I don’t care if I knock her out with a pinky finger, I don’t care if I submit her with one arm, I am going to do everything that I can, and I will do everything that I can to get my hand raised. I don’t know how it’s going to come. I can’t predict when, I’m not Nostradamus, I don’t have a crystal ball. I just have confidence in myself and my game.”

The matchup between The Ultimate Fighter season 18 cast members serves as the co-main event for the first of the UFC’s two October pay-per-view events.

Peña first captured the title with a stunning stoppage victory over Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 in December 2021. “The Venezuelan Vixen” had her reign thwarted by Nunes in the rematch at UFC 277 eight-months later, dropping a lopsided unanimous decision.

While nothing will top the moment of Peña pulling off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history over the seemingly unbeatable Nunes, Peña says stopping the impressive six-fight win streak of Pennington, and becoming a two-time champion in the process will be a close second.

“It will mean the world, it means that I clawed and scratched my way back up to the top of the mountain and I got it done again,” Peña said. “‘Peña Two-Time.,’ that sounds good to me. I, obviously, am in this sport for that reason. I want to go down in history as one of the best. I want to go down, and in the Hall of Fame is one of the best and I’m not going to stop until I get there.

“It would be hard to top that moment [of beating Nunes]. I blew the roof off of the place when I beat Amanda the first time, but I’m looking forward to getting another opportunity, another crack at gold. Just looking forward to getting my hand raised.”

The UFC is back on Mountain Time for UFC 307, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 307 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

In the headliner, light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) puts his title on the line against challenger Khalil Rountree (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC). In the co-feature, women’s bantamweight champ Raquel Pennington (16-9 MMA, 13-5 UFC) defends her title for the first time when she meets ex-champ Julianna Pena (12-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC). In addition, two-time Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champ Kayla Harrison (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on Ketlen Vieira (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) as a huge favorite.

The sixth and final episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Champ Raquel Pennington reflects on her upcoming fight against Julianna Peña; athletes cut weight before official weigh-ins; Champ Alex Pereira gets his warrior face paint; The stars of UFC 307 face off one last time at the Ceremonial Weigh-ins.

Previous UFC 307 ‘Embedded’ episodes

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.