Arne Slot reflects on Pep Guardiola comments, reveals Feyenoord talks

Arne Slot may have hailed Pep Guardiola as the best manager in the world in the build-up to Liverpool's crucial match against Manchester City, but he backtracked during a private briefing with the Sunday papers. “I don’t admire Pep,” he said. “Those are not the words I would want to use.”

This was shortly after he proclaimed on television: “Pep is one of the best in the world – and in my opinion the best.”

However, with Liverpool enjoying an eight-point lead over City, there is no sense of inferiority at Anfield, reinforced by their superior defeat to Real Madrid in midweek which exceeded the margin of victory by 2 -0.

Just 24 hours earlier, City had squandered a 3-0 advantage against Slot's former team, Feyenoord, by capitulating in the final 14 minutes – a shocking continuation after five consecutive defeats that shook City's foundations and sparked criticism. rumors about the vulnerability of Guardiola's men.

“I made contact with Feyenoord but not in a tactical way,” admitted the Dutchman. “I simply contacted the people I worked with to express my admiration for their incredible result and congratulate them on their outstanding performance.”

Anfield has been a difficult ground for the Blues, both before and after Guardiola's arrival at the Etihad, where he won six titles in seven seasons.

City have won just three times on Liverpool's home turf since 1956. Guardiola's only triumph there came when the stadium was deserted due to the pandemic, resulting in a 4-1 win.

“What's even stranger is that the only time Liverpool won the championship in the last 30 years was also when there were no fans,” Slot retorted. “I think this record is because Liverpool always have strong teams. It's a mix of fans and players.

“If you only had enthusiastic fans and mediocre players, it would be difficult to win any match. But if you have top players and the fans fully support you, it always gives you a boost. extra inch.

“Another statistic is that we have only won once in the last nine or ten games against City.

“We had never won in the last eight times we played Real Madrid – until the other night when we came out on top.

“So for me, data and statistics like that don’t carry a lot of weight in this game.”

Slot argues that the only thing champions need is a little luck.

Slot recalls his difficult time at AZ Alkmaar: “I remember those four draws in a row, but it's also different when you play in the Premier League and the Champions League.”

He then highlighted the tougher competition facing England's highest levels and Europe's elite, saying: “In Holland, if you play Europa League or Conference League games and then a league game, It’s a lot easier. You’re probably not going to lose.” five in a row.

“In the Premier League and the Champions League it can happen to any team, especially if you're as unlucky as City in the last four or five games they've played, because the results could have been the other way around.

“I can't say how I would react (to five successive defeats) until I'm in that position.”

However, after reviewing Manchester City's recent performances, Slot observed: “If I analyzed City right now, I would say the results are not what they want. But if you look at how they play, I don't I wouldn't be at all worried.”