Arne Slot applauded the Kop, embraced Darwin Nunez and then blew two kisses to his proud family in the Main Stand before heading down the tunnel.
What a week for Liverpool’s head coach.
Having masterminded the downfall of European champions Real Madrid, he celebrated another statement triumph after piling more misery on Manchester City.
An appreciative, jubilant Anfield left his parents Arend and Fennie, brothers Edwin and Jakko, wife Mirjam and children Isa and Joep in no doubt about their affection for him. They will head home to the Netherlands having witnessed the fruits of his labour and been royally entertained.
Replacing an icon is supposed to be laced with danger. But from the moment Slot backed himself to follow in the footsteps of Jurgen Klopp, the transition has been seamless.
Yes, the former Feyenoord boss was fortunate to inherit such a gifted squad with room for development. However, the manner in which he has shaped the talent at his disposal has been incredible. Played 20, won 18. The reigning champions of Germany, Spain and England have been swept aside by a combined score of 8-0. That isn’t normal.
No fist pumps, no wild goal celebrations, Slot’s understated demeanour is so different to his predecessor. Where Klopp wore his heart on his sleeve, the Dutchman keeps his emotions in check.
But there’s an authenticity to him that supporters have increasingly warmed to. That bond has grown organically since August. As for the players, they love his subtle tactical tweaks, his attention to detail and the clarity of his instructions. They know exactly where they stand with him.
He’s the man with the Midas touch — juggling his resources so effectively and repeatedly making substitutions that positively impact performance levels.
A cherished victory over City extended Liverpool’s commanding lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points — the biggest margin anyone has enjoyed at the summit after 13 games since Manchester United (11 points) in 1993-94. But, typically, Slot’s reaction was to ensure that feet remain firmly on the floor.
“Playing against Real Madrid and Man City, teams that have been and are so good, with managers that have won so many trophies, it’s always nice to come out in both situations as a winner,” he said.
“But the reason why these teams won so many things is that they weren’t able to win once or twice, they were able to win every three days. So we’re really happy with these two wins, but we also understand if we want to achieve more than this then winning once or twice — even against these big teams — is not enough to win anything at the end of the season.
“Let’s not get carried away. It’s all about consistency until the end of the season, keeping the players fit, keeping them playing with this much energy. There’s such a long way to go and so many challenges to take.”
It’s a fair assessment. There are still 75 points up for grabs and injuries remain a concern following the loss of defenders Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley as they prepare for trips to Newcastle United and Everton.
But what a position of strength they find themselves in. And if Liverpool do stumble in the coming months, it surely won’t be City relentlessly reeling them in this season with Arsenal and Chelsea both looking like more credible challengers.
Pep Guardiola seemed surprised by Anfield’s collective glee at his current plight as he was treated to a booming rendition of “you’re getting sacked in the morning”, but the Spaniard really shouldn’t have been.
Liverpool have suffered so much at the hands of City in the modern era — in particular those title races in 2019 and 2022 when they were agonisingly edged out by a solitary point. They were never going to hold back as they revelled in their rivals’ misfortune.
Slot deserves huge credit for the game plan he assembled. The decision to recall Cody Gakpo on the left and play Luis Diaz through the middle worked a treat. Dominik Szoboszlai shone on his return to the midfield.
Joe Gomez became the latest fringe player to effortlessly fill a void as he started a top-flight game at centre-back for the first time since September 2023 in place of Konate. Alexander-Arnold’s comeback was timely with Bradley missing as the vice-captain’s range of passing helped expose City’s vulnerabilities.
The first half was the best 45 minutes of the Slot era so far. It was reminiscent of Liverpool at their finest under Klopp as they flew out of the traps and swarmed all over Guardiola’s side. They should have been out of sight but somehow only had Gakpo’s close-range finish from Mohamed Salah’s perfect delivery to show for their efforts.
Slot’s finger prints were all over this dominant performance as Liverpool were sharper in all departments. There was Ryan Gravenberch, reinvented as a swaggering No 6, pulling the strings at the base of the midfield. It was telling how direct Liverpool were at times as they sought to exploit the space in behind City’s overworked backline. The shot count at the break was 10-1.
“I’ve experienced already a few nice moments here as a manager,” Slot said. “But I think today stood out when it comes to the energy we delivered on the pitch but also the energy the fans delivered for us. Only being 1-0 up at half-time, we would have loved to see a bigger margin.”
The second half showcased the structure, organisation and sense of control that Slot has installed as the tempo slowed. He has quickly fashioned this team in his own image — calm, confident and measured. Sunday showed that they can both crank it up and turn it down when required.
City had 66 per cent possession after the interval but barely laid a glove on Liverpool. The visitors didn’t have a shot on target until after Salah’s penalty had put the result beyond doubt.
Forget that late error when Caoimhin Kelleher saved the captain’s blushes, Virgil van Dijk was immense. Erling Haaland, who had just 16 touches throughout, was expertly shackled with Van Dijk repeatedly sensing danger and dealing with it.
The scoreline flattered City with the difference in expected goals (xG) between the teams even greater than when Liverpool thrashed Manchester United 7-0 in March 2023. Back then it was 2.78 versus 0.82, on Sunday it was 3.43 versus 0.83.
Liverpool have enjoyed bigger margins of victory over Guardiola’s side previously but they haven’t outclassed them so comprehensively throughout a contest quite like this.
Sporting director Richard Hughes still has much to sort out as the contract sagas of Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold rumble on. But there’s no doubt that Hughes nailed the first crunch decision of his Anfield tenure with the recruitment of Klopp’s successor.
Slot looks the part in every facet of the job. The manner in which Real Madrid and Manchester City were swept aside in quick succession underlined his credentials. He’s a class act and his Liverpool juggernaut will take some stopping.
(Header photo: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
