Arne Slot has just been given two more chances to do what Jurgen Klopp did at Liverpool

Taking on Pep Guardiola is the ultimate test for any manager, and Arne Slot now knows that he will be up against the legendary Catalan coach until at least 2027 — provided neither man is fired before then

There had been speculation that Guardiola might walk away from City at the end of his previous contract, which was up at the end of this season, amid links with the England job. For one reason or another, that did not materialise, and Thomas Tuchel was ultimately entrusted with the responsibility of ending the Three Lions' 60-year wait for major tournament glory.

Tuchel has been described in some quarters as a hired gun, with the German handed one task and one task only: to win the World Cup. The length of the 51-year-old's contract — it will expire upon the end of England's involvement in the 2026 showpiece in North America — only enforces that theory, while it had also been suggested that the former Chelsea manager might only have been handed a short-term deal because the FA still hoped to eventually lure Guardiola in.

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Perhaps the belief in the corridors of power at St. George's Park was that Guardiola might be ready for a national job in two years' time, but the length of his extension at City and the fact that the deal ends in a non-tournament year means he will probably not manage a team at an international competition until 2030 at the earliest.

Ultimately, the fact that Guardiola is staying in England means that it will be tougher for Liverpool — and every other team, for that matter — to succeed in several competitions.

The Reds may currently sit atop the Premier League table, but City is only five points behind and the nature of the competition in the division means the momentum can change quickly — and Guardiola's teams famously come on strong towards the back end of seasons.

A manager like Slot, though, will surely be relishing the challenge of going head to head with the greatest manager of this generation, and a rivalry that looked like as though it might only last one year, is now going to last at least triple that length of time. That gives Slot two more chances to best Guardiola in the Premier League — just as Jurgen Klopp did in 2020.

Part of what made Klopp's tenure at Liverpool so special was that he was up against the ultimate opponent in Guardiola's City. The Reds may only have won one league title, but the rides the club went on as it competed for supremacy on several occasions, narrowly missing out on two more titles, were special.

Guardiola's extension ensures those battles between Liverpool and City will continue for years to come, and Slot knows he will need to maintain the early standards he has has set if he is to emulate his predecessor in keeping Guardiola's hands off the Premier League trophy.