Reserved and focused Slot can savour Liverpool’s success as title beckons

Arne Slot was denied the perfect Feyenoord ending by PSV, when his team finished seven points behind their rivals, albeit having won the Dutch Cup. Eleven months on, he is poised to mark his first season as Liverpool’s head coach by becoming a Premier League champion and could seal the trophy by defeating a PSV and Manchester United legend, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and confirming Leicester’s relegation.

Thoughts of spite will not enter Slot’s mind, however. He has been reserved since arriving at Anfield, but fans would revel in completing a merited title triumph at the King Power on Sunday. The added needle is much needed because Liverpool’s superiority has made the title race tedious. Others are to blame for that.

The advantage over second-placed Arsenal is 13 points with six games remaining. A defeat for the Gunners at Ipswich on Sunday followed by a Liverpool win would allow Slot to plan his outfit for the open-top bus parade. Considering his side’s 100% record against the bottom three – of five wins, 15 goals scored and five conceded – no one will be panicking at playing doomed Leicester.

Despite the failings of those heading down and the gap at the top, Liverpool’s success and consistency should not be underestimated. Slot is adamant English football is the world’s best, prompting him to run through some of the season’s difficult games. “Wolves at home, even Southampton at home, Plymouth away, which is not even at Premier League level,” he says, before mentioning this month’s defeat at Fulham.

Smaller clubs are less competitive in the Dutch top division, he says. “It’s not only the Eredivisie. You see this in Spain, you see this in Italy. Multiple managers have said something about that.”

Liverpool needed a late winner to beat West Ham last Sunday. “They have players that can play for us and you don’t see that in the Italian league, you don’t see this in the Spanish league, you don’t see this in the Eredivisie,” Slot says. “You only see this in the Premier League and that’s why it’s such a popular league. That’s why people pay so much money, broadcasters, and that’s why we can bring so many good players in.”

This season’s finest team do not have the style of a peak Pep Guardiola side, but they set the standard early with unfussy 2-0 wins over Ipswich and Brentford. The spectacular form of Mohamed Salah has helped Liverpool sit top since 2 November and despite the odd flirtation from chasers they have never looked like losing their grip on first place thanks to ruthless efficiency.

View image in fullscreen Arne Slot puts his squad through their paces on Friday. Photograph: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Concerns that Virgil van Dijk, Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold would leave for nothing this summer grew throughout the season, but provided no on-field distraction. This month the Dutchman and Egyptian committed to Liverpool but the England defender will almost certainly pack his bags for the Bernabéu. Van Dijk did plenty of badge kissing and it did not feel performative; he always wanted to stay because life does not get better than being top of the league.

The experience of Van Dijk and Salah has been key and they deserve the right to lift the trophy without contractual shadows over them. It would have been bittersweet for Liverpool to win the league and lose three men who have contributed so much over the past eight years.

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Leicester have not provided anyone with much of a challenge under Van Nistelrooy, who was PSV manager in 2022-23 when Slot won the Eredivisie with Feyenoord. Last Saturday’s draw against Brighton brought their first point and league goals since late January. Slot should be able to head home to the Netherlands after the match for a two-day break a joyful man, even if the title has to wait.

He has not planned how he will celebrate securing Liverpool’s record-equalling 20th championship. “I’m only thinking about trying to win a game of football against Leicester,” he says. Others might not be believed, but Slot has never let his focus drift. Only when mathematically guaranteed will he truly enjoy himself.

Supporters, players and coaches generally want to complete the job on home turf, but if that is not to be the case for Liverpool – who could also win the title on Wednesday without playing, when Arsenal host Crystal Palace – they will be placated if things are done and dusted early. There have been two league defeats, somewhat surprisingly against Nottingham Forest as well as Fulham. Liverpool cruised past Manchester City in two fixtures, making them look a shadow of the one that twice edged Jürgen Klopp’s heavy metal band into second.

Months of hard work has alleviated the pressure. “The only thing I care about is the league table,” Slot says. “I like to look at it at the moment and I hope I can still like to look at it in one, two, three, four, five or six games.” The time for worry will soon be over.

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