Forest shock Liverpool to end Slot honeymoon with famous win
Hearty congratulations to Manchester City for securing their fifth consecutive Premier League title.
Yes, the tongue is (slightly) in cheek, but as the only other 100 per cent Premier League record beyond the Etihad was smoked by Nottingham Forest, it was difficult to shake off the view that those blue ribbons will not be getting shredded from the winner’s trophy any time soon. It may take a while for the same defeatism to engulf the rest of the country, but there are many at Anfield who are accustomed to believing that any home defeat for title hopefuls is one too many in the era of Pep Guardiola.
Liverpool and Arsenal must be flawless to prevent this season being a procession. Instead, City remain the side striving for perfection. For all the excellence of his early work, Arne Slot is learning the kind of harsh lessons which are unavoidable for newcomers to English football. Lest we forget, even Guardiola needed a year to realise that whatever preconceptions he had about the challenge of winning here week in, week out, the reality is 100 times tougher.
This week’s tutorial for Slot is on the considerations of heart ruling head on team selections. Slot admitted before the Forest defeat that he is a reluctant tinkerman, preferring to keep faith with those that deliver rather than pre-supposing a drop in form is a game away.
There were even chuckles in his pre-match press conference when he welcomed how many of his stars were used on international duty. Why? Because his predecessor was legendary for his despair when noting his players had more minutes in their legs than title rivals. The experience was based on a harrowing first campaign when Jurgen Klopp would count his key players as they left for their private jets, and was so worried about them returning in a poor condition he set up a WhatsApp group for immediate updates on their fitness before their return to Merseyside.
No matter how strong the performance before the players were sent around the world with their countries, those senior men who remained tended to be guaranteed a start the following domestic game - bringing freshness and vitality around those needing an extra few days’ recovery.
There was a time when James Milner, for example, could circle the calendar in the knowledge he was certain to play following England internationals - the prize for his earlier premature retirement for his country.
Slot cannot be blamed for recalling the comfortable win at Old Trafford and believing it would be wrong to make several changes. The real mistake after seeing Forest comfortably repel a Liverpool team unrecognisable from their first three fixtures would be to fail to take heed and repeat it next time. Even Guardiola made four changes to his City line-up against Brentford, despite their perfect start.
After a home defeat and limp performance immediately after an international break, this may sound suspiciously like retrospective wisdom. The proof is in the insipid 90 minutes Liverpool produced in which they fell into every trap Nuno Espirito Santo set.
This looked more like Liverpool at the end of last season; fatigued, unimaginative, fidgety when the initially subdued crowd started to panic, and more vulnerable as they took risks to salvage a desperate situation.
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The poise and control of the winning start to a new Anfield era evaporated amid the carnage of the climax - Nuno’s side executing the perfect game plan which came to fruition when Callum Hudson-Odoi struck the 72nd-minute winner, the home fans left feeling exasperated by so many off-form players.
The warning signs for Liverpool arrived early as Mohamed Salah - so good in the first three games the clamour for a new contract grew - seemed incapable of passing to a team-mate. Dominik Szoboszlai was similarly culpable, the few promising positions Liverpool created squandered by misplaced passes and players on different wavelengths. They were not alone as every department underperformed.
Forest were primed to take advantage, initially engaging in the classic spoiling tactics which infuriate the elite but are the template for success when executed well; strategic fouls and prolonged delays before kick-offs are nothing new, even if they provoke more home fury when a visiting side is having fun.
The longer the game progressed, the more dangerous the visitors became and Nuno’s second-half changes worked better than Slot’s - none more so than Hudson-Odoi when he skipped past Conor Bradley and became the first opponent to beat Alisson Becker this season, and the first Forest player to score an Anfield winner since 1969.
Forest went fourth, with Nuno evolving the side as he did Wolverhampton Wanderers; they are well-organised, resolute and now possess enough pace on the counter-attack to enjoy a season without the fear of relegation. This is their biggest scalp since returning to the Premier League, and in this form it will not be their last.
For Slot, the next challenge awaits as the serene progress has been interrupted. The Champions League is on Tuesday, and a demanding schedule will demonstrate if his back-up players are as capable of fitting into his system as his preferred starters.
The Slot machine has suffered its first serious malfunction, Liverpool’s aspirations of going toe-to-toe with the champions suffering the kind of unnecessary slip no side chasing the City juggernaut can afford.
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Liverpool suffer first defeat of Slot era: as it happened
05:36 PM BST
Arne Slot speaks to Sky Sports
The result always frustrates the most and we couldn’t be happy with the way the game went. It was a stop-start game and we couldn’t find the rhythm.
05:34 PM BST
Alisson speaks to Sky Sports
Losing a game at home in front of our supporters is the most frustrating thing for us. We didn’t deserve to lose but sometimes football is like that. We give a half chance and they score and then we had to run against time. In the second half with their changes we didn’t adapt quickly enough.
We conceded three counter attacks and didn’t defend better. We have to be more aggressive. Hudson-Odoi had too much time to dribble, too much space. We have to be better.
Before we conceded the opal we gave three counter-attacks and in a game like this it’s dangerous. You have to be more careful
We didn’t manage to play better when we made the subs with the ball. We didn’t create many clear chances and also because they defended really well.
A little bit of poor football for us today and we have to improve if we are to beat AC Milan.
05:29 PM BST
A brief word from Nuno
The players did well. They worked hard. Liverpool had us on the ropes but we stayed in it. We stayed in the game. Defensively we were very good.
05:25 PM BST
Paul Merson on Liverpool
I thought Liverpool were boring. They’ve got to move it more quickly. They just run through the phases. It seems to me that their thinking is ‘we don’t lose’ before ‘we must win’.
05:15 PM BST
Nuno does what Cloughie couldn’t
Callum Hudson-Odoi 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/1cY5tJY1dO
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) September 14, 2024
05:12 PM BST
Tree joy at Anfield
FULL TIME! Nottingham Forest secure a HISTORIC win at Anfield - their first in 55 years 🤯 pic.twitter.com/BgNaDcVctj
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 14, 2024
05:06 PM BST
Premier League table after this afternoon’s fixtures
Premier League table (unbeaten Forest up to fourth).
Still to come Villa vs Everton at 5.30pm and Bournemouth vs Chelsea at 8pm.
04:59 PM BST
Palace 2 Leicester 2
Two goals from JP Mateta, the second a stoppage-time penalty, helped Crystal Palace come back from 2-0 down to deny Leicester a first win of the season.
The Foxes raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals in either half from Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi and were the better side for much of the game.
However, a VAR decision to overrule assistant referee Marc Perry’s offside decision, which looked correct, against Mateta allowed Palace back into the game almost immediately.
But they never really looked like scoring until veteran defender Conor Coady’s clumsy challenge in the box on Ismaila Sarr was punished by Mateta’s well-struck spot-kick
04:59 PM BST
Result
Palace 2 Leicester 2
04:58 PM BST
Result
Brighton 0 Ipswich 0
Well, that was one of the most one-sided draws you’ll ever see, but Kieran McKenna won’t care. A first away point for the Tractor Boys and more home struggles against defensive teams for Brighton.
04:57 PM BST
Result
Man City 2 Brentford 1
04:57 PM BST
Result
Liverpool 0 Nottm Forest 1
A first Forest league win at Anfield for 55 years.
04:55 PM BST
Result
Fulham 1 West Ham 1
04:54 PM BST
GOAL!
Fulham 1 West Ham 1 (Ings) The forgotten man saves a point.
Danny Ings. All he does is score and he has. Whether West Ham deserve to be level is immaterial. Bowen’s pull-back with a minute of injury-time left, Ings on the swivel, his shot too fierce for Bernd Leno to keep out. All over 1-1.
The Fulham fans were right to be jittery. Their side failed to press home their superiority.
04:53 PM BST
GOAL!
Palace 2 Leicester 2 (Mateta, pen) Punishing Coady’s clumsiness.
Just as it looked as if Leicester were going to hold on for a much-needed win, Conor Coady makes a tackle he didn’t need to make in stoppage time and down goes Ismaila Sarr in the box. Mateta buries the ball into the bottom-right corner and it’s all-square at Selhurst Park.
04:52 PM BST
Liverpool chance
But Murillo blocks Szoboszlai’s effort and Van Dijk sticks a header over.
04:48 PM BST
Palace-Leicester update
Into the final 10 minutes at Selhurst Park and Leicester sub Abdul Fatawu tries to emulate David Beckham’s famous goal here 28 years ago with an audacious attempt from the halfway that mildly troubles Dean Henderson before drifting wide.
Jordan Ayew is given a lovely reception from the home fans as he walks around the pitch after being replaced by Conor Coady as Leicester look to hold on for the win.
04:47 PM BST
City-Brentford update
Haaland hits the post while gunning for a third hat-trick and Flekken saves a second attempt a moment later.
04:37 PM BST
Palace-Leicester update
Eddie Nketiah, who has been largely anonymous on his Palace debut following a £30 million move from Arsenal, goes so close to levelling the scores with a well-struck shot that is millimetres wide. But Leicester have looked largely comfortable in the second half. Debutant Maxence Lacroix makes a vital tackle inside his own box to nip the ball off the toes of Oliver Skipp.
Palace fans trying desperately to rouse their team as the Leicester fans, evidently nervous in the Arthur Waite Stand, give a big ovation to Mavididi as he is replaced by Abdul Fatawu
04:37 PM BST
Fulham-West Ham update
15 minutes left. West Ham asking more questions, but Fulham are not looking unduly stressed. However, their creative spark seems mostly reliant on Traore’s speed now and the home fans are sitting less comfortably than before.
04:33 PM BST
GOAL!
Liverpool 0 Forest 1 (Hudson-Odoi) Wraps his instep around it and bends in a pearler. Utterly unstoppable.
Forest’s confidence was growing and Liverpool were risking more in pursuit of a winner. Nuno’s game plan has been executed perfectly as his sub Hudson-Odoi scores the first goal against a Slot-managed Liverpool side. They’ll fancy they can hold on. Forest keeper Sels has had little to do.
04:30 PM BST
Forest squander chance
After a great move featuring Hudson-Odoi, Wood, Gibbs-White and Elanga on the break, the Sweden winger firing over much to Liverpool’s relief.
04:22 PM BST
Liverpool-Forest update
Slot had to act and he has. A triple substitution brings on Nunez, Gakpo and Conor Bradley. Alexander-Arnold has moved into midfield for the final 30 minutes. Slot may be regretting not resting some of his internationals at the start.
04:20 PM BST
Brighton-Ipswich update
That was nearly the breakaway sucker-punch goal that Brighton must have feared as Liam Delap picked up the ball in his own half, outpaced Jan Paul van Hecke and slammed the ball past Bart Verbruggen – but off the far post.
04:10 PM BST
GOAL!
Palace 1-2 Leicester (Mateta) Flag went up straight away but Mateta, after a length VAR check, was ruled onside.
With much of the ground returning to their seat following a halftime pie or a pint, Leicester go two-up when Mavididi fires home from close range after Nathanial Clyne makes a complete hash of clearing James Justin’s cross.
But almost immediately Palace pull one back when JP Mateta side-foots home a Tyrick Mitchell cross but the flag instantly goes up for offside, which looks very much the correct decision with the Frenchman looking two yards offside. However, after a three-minute VAR check the goal is given. Will be interesting to see what reason PGMOL gives for the goal being given.
04:10 PM BST
Fulham-West Ham update
Two half-time substitutions for West Ham. Needed, too. Paqueta and Summerville on for Soucek and Antonio. It means Bowen will play the main striker role. It still needs the rest of the team to feed the forwards, though.
04:07 PM BST
GOAL!
Palace 0 Leicester 2 (Mavididi) Unhappy birthday at Selhurst Park so far
04:01 PM BST
Half-time scores in Premier League 3pm kick-offs
Brighton 0-0 Ipswich
Crystal Palace 0-1 Leicester
Fulham 1-0 West Ham
Liverpool 0-0 Nottm Forest
Man City 2-1 Brentford
03:55 PM BST
Palace-Leicester half-time
Marc Guehi is having what the beard-stroking analytic types refer to as a ‘stinker’. Leicester should be 2-0 up after the England centre-back is robbed of the ball by the evergreen Vardy who tees up Stephy Mavididi inside the box, but the former Arsenal man shoots wastefully over the bar with just Henderson to beat.
On the stroke of halftime, Ayew does what he has made a living from for many years now, by winning a free-kick on the edge of the Palace box amid howls of derision from the frustrated Palace fans, who boo their team off at the half-time whistle.
Leicester more than worthy of their lead at the break thanks to Vardy’s 20th-minute goal in what would be a huge first win for Foxes boss Steve Cooper.
03:52 PM BST
Half-time at Anfield
A classic spoiling performance from Forest for 45 minutes, creating a gloriously dull game from their perspective, full of stoppages, tactical fouls and counting down the clock. Problems to solve for Slot at the break. His side has shown none of the pre-international break sharpness so far.
03:52 PM BST
Wissa injured at the Etihad
After opening the scoring, the forward cannot finish the half and is replaced by Kevin Schade.
03:50 PM BST
Half-time at the Cottage
Fulham full of fluency, speed of thought and body. Always prepared to exchange positions and to ask questions of defenders. Who should I mark? Should I go with him or drop off? Their only fault is not taking a shot more often when they could.
By comparison, West Ham are ponderous and inflexible. Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus look dangerous but by the time the ball gets to them, they have two men facing them.
03:50 PM BST
Palace-Leicester update
Palace could and should be on level terms after an outrageous piece of skill from Eberechi Eze. The England man’s cushioned touch inside the box bamboozles both Wout Faes and James Justin, but his side-footed volley curls narrowly wide with Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen well beaten.
Leicester have looked less of an attacking threat since taking the lead with Palace very much on the front foot, but the home fans are beginning to get restless as they push for an equaliser.
03:49 PM BST
Liverpool-Forest update
Relief for Matz Sels as he drops a tame Diaz header and manages to grab it just before it crossed the goal line. Liverpool building momentum before half-time but Nuno will be elated with Forest’s defensive performance.
03:37 PM BST
Brighton-Ipswich update
Very little goalmouth action so far, apart from a shot from Brighton’s Carlos baleba that sent Arijanet Muric full length to his left. Ipswich have put in some, er, meaty challenges and skipper Sam Morsy has picked up a yellow card, but they will be happy to have kept Brighton playing their pretty football well outside their penalty area.
03:35 PM BST
GOAL!
Man City 2 Brentford 1 (Haaland)
Brentford will be wondering how they’re behind in this game but take nothing away from Haaland – the man is a phenomenon. It’s was route one for City’s second – Ederson spearing a fine long ball towards Haaland, who stood his ground and watched Pinnock bounce off him. That was the muscle part of proceedings. Then came the style and grace, the striker dinking the ball over the advancing Mark Flekken as he surged to goal. It’s 99 goals in 103 games for City now and takes his tally to nine in the opening four Premier League games – outstripping the previous record of eight set by Wayne Rooney in 2011/12.
03:35 PM BST
Liverpool-Forest update
Arne Slot is wearing tapered trousers and no socks. That should be a criminal offence for anyone aged over 30.
Yes, it’s a quiet game.
He’s got those suede loafers on again as well
03:26 PM BST
GOAL!
Fulham 1 West Ham 0 (Jimenez)
Fulham capitalise on their dominance. Their movement up front is too hot for the West Ham defence. Emile Smith-Rowe beat the offside flag, Raul Jimenez sprinted in front of Konstantinos Mavropanos to meet the pull-back 1-0 Fulham. Deserved. The Fulham fans have forgotten about the penalty shout now.
03:25 PM BST
Fulham-West Ham update
Howls for a Fulham penalty. Asama Traore has an incredible upper body strength, yet he fell over easily under a lean of the arm from Max Kilman as he raced into the area. Referee Tim Robinson said no. He stopped play to go over to the touchline, but it was to book Fulham manager Marco Silva, not look at the VAR screen.
03:24 PM BST
Liverpool-Forest update
Alexis Mac Allister feels like he is being targeted by Forest. He’s been kicked three times so far. Nuno may feel his passing is what makes Liverpool tick. Not much has clicked at Anfield in first 15 minutes.
The early lack of action seemed to send Forest’s Ryan Yates into a slumber. His lapse almost let in Diaz for the opener, the Colombian hitting the post. Now Anfield is a bit more awake.
03:23 PM BST
GOAL!
Palace 0 Leicester 1 (Vardy) Rounds the keeper who shouldn’t have come out after Wahrton loses the ball and Ndidi pings it forward to give Vardy a sprint-off with Guehi which the 37-year-old wins.
Vardy rolls back the years yet again to put Leicester deservedly ahead with his second goal of the season. Ndidi, who has been outstanding in the opening 20 minutes, robs the ball from Adam Wharton in midfield and plays a perfect pass into the path of Vardy. The 37-year-old forward takes the ball wide and rolls it into the bottom left corner via the body of Dean Henderson. Then, just because he can, he celebrates in front of the Palace fans.
03:21 PM BST
GOAL!
City 1 Brentford 1 (Haaland) Deflected right-foot cross loops over the keeper.
It was a very muted celebration from Haaland. It’s been a tough week for the Norway striker and his family following the death of his dad Alfie’s best man Ivar Eggja, whom Haaland had come to regard like an uncle. It’s customary for a beaming Haaland to revel in these moments but in this case he just stuck an arm in the arm and ran back towards the centre-circle, head bowed.
03:21 PM BST
Palace-Leicester update
Leicester, like Palace are searching for their first win of the season, have looked the brighter side in the opening 20 minutes.
Wilfred Ndidi has been lively on the left flank for the Foxes and his deep cross almost finds James Justin in the six-yard box with Dean Henderson denying the full-back from close range.
Jordan Ayew then pops up in a similar position from another Ndidi centre, but is unable to get his shot away.
03:19 PM BST
Fulham want a penalty
Penalty shout for Fulham at Craven Cottage when Traore goes down when touched by his former Molineux mate Kilman. The referee shakes his head and Marco Silva is admonished for protesting too vehemently.
03:17 PM BST
That Selhurst banner
03:13 PM BST
Here’s Brentford’s goal
And Ederson saves from Collins’s effort from Mbeumo’s cross. It’s all Brentford so far.
Ten minutes in and City are in total disarray - words you don’t associate with them. It’s all Brentford and City’s players are like rabbits in headlights. Rodri is only fit enough to start on the bench - and without their compass in the middle City look totally disorientated. Brentford have been superb. Should be more than 1-0 up.
03:08 PM BST
City seem asleep
And Brentford come close again. Pep Guardiola is on the touchline and trying to rouse his back four.
03:06 PM BST
Selhurst Park centenary
As the players took to the field, the Palace fans unfurled an enormous banner, in the Holmesdale Road Stand, to mark 100 years since the club played their first fixture at Selhurst Park. Some cruel folk will claim the stadium hasn’t changed much in that time, but it is without doubt one of the most atmospheric grounds in the Premier League.
03:03 PM BST
GOAL!
Man City 0 Brentford 1 (Wissa) Big mistake by Stones gives the ball on a silver platter to Wissa who calmly finishes.
02:56 PM BST
Live from the Cottage
Premier League on a Travelcard. West Ham fans continue their London tour of away grounds with a trip to Fulham. After visiting Crystal Palace last month and today’s fixture, West Ham’s next two Premier League away games are at Tottenham and Brentford. In fact, their first away league game out of London will be at Nottingham Forest on November 2.
If West Ham ever wanted to diversify into producing club-related board games, they have a line-up at Craven Cottage that would suit the requirements of Scrabble with the names of their 20-man squad covering all 26 letters in the alphabet. To complete their set, Fulham would need to recruit players whose names contain F, Q, V and X .
02:55 PM BST
From Selhurst Park
Palace hand debuts to deadline day signings Maxence Lacroix and Eddie Nketiah with Jordan Ayew, who left Selhurst Park less than a month ago making a swift return to the club he served for six years in the colours of Leicester. Ayew’s name was warmly applauded by the home fans when the teams were announced half-hour before kick-off.
Cheick Doucoure returns to the heart of the Palace midfield for the first time since rupturing his ACL against Luton nine months ago.
02:48 PM BST
Van Dijk honours Yeats
Liverpool will honour the memory of Ron Yeats before kick-off. A mosaic on The Kop reads ‘Rowdy 5’ in reference to the ex-skipper’s nickname and shirt number.
Virgil van Dijk has added his own touching tribute in the matchday programme.
“As a centre-back and a Liverpool captain myself, I know the huge impact Ron Yeats had on the club and the legacy he leaves behind,” writes Van Dijk.
02:43 PM BST
No Chiesa for hosts
Federico Chiesa is continuing to regain fitness - playing catch-up having done little pre-season conditioning - so he is still absent from the squad. There is a chance he will be on the bench against AC Milan in midweek when teams are allowed more substitutes.
02:24 PM BST
No Pedro for Brighton
The teamsheets are out and the biggest surprise is that Joao Pedro, who has scored two goals in Brighton’s three Premier League games so far, the winner against Manchester United and the equaliser in the draw at Arsenal, is missing from the Brighton squad. The official explanation is that the Brazil striker has “a slight knock.”
Record £40m signing Georginio Rutter takes Pedro’s place just behind Danny Welbeck. Yasin Ayari keeps his place in the Brighton midfield after impressing as a substitute at the Emirates.
Dara O’Shea and Wes Burns replace Luke Woolfenden and Chiedozie Ogbene in the Tractor Boys’ starting like-up.
01:55 PM BST
Brighton v Ipswich – team news
Brighton XI: Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, Dunk, Van Hecke, Veltman; Baleba, Ayari; Mitoma, Rutter, Minteh; Welbeck
Ipswich XI: Muric; Davis, Greaves, O’Shea, Tuanzebe; Phillips, Morsy; Szmodics, Hutchinson, Burns; Delap
01:54 PM BST
Fulham v West Ham – team news
Fulham XI: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Pereira, Lukic, Smith-Rowe, Traore, Jimenez, Iwobi
West Ham XI: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson, Rodriguez, Alvarez, Bowen, Soucek, Kudus, Antonio
01:54 PM BST
Crystal Palace v Leicester – team news
Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Clyne, Guehi, Lacroix, Munoz, Doucoure, Wharton, Mitchell, Eze, Mateta, Nketiah.
Leicester XI: Hermansen, Justin, Faes, Okoli, Kristiansen, Winks, Skipp, Mavididi, Ndidi, Ayew, Vardy.
01:53 PM BST
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest – team news
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Van Dijk, Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Jota, Robertson, Gravenberch, Alexander-Arnold.
Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Murillo, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Wood, Dominguez, Ward-Prowse, Moreno, Yates, Milenkovic, Aina.
01:53 PM BST
Man City v Brentford – team news
Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Kovacic, Grealish, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Akanji, Savinho, Lewis, Haaland.
Brentford XI: Flekken, van den Berg, Pinnock, Norgaard, Wissa, Mbuemo, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Janelt.
01:49 PM BST
Haaland starts; Slot confident
Erling Haaland starts for Manchester City against Brentford this afternoon having been a doubt to play earlier in the week due to ‘personal reasons’
Elsewhere, Arne Slot has already accomplished one of his first key tasks upon taking over as Liverpool coach by ensuring his senior players are fully buying into his Anfield vision.
The enthusiastic responses on and off the pitch of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker and Andrew Robertson to the new regime has been a stand-out feature of Slot’s first few months in charge.
Salah and Van Dijk’s contract situation inevitably puts a greater microscope on their performance, public remarks and body language - the duo are in the final years of their deals and have indicated they want to stay longer - and Slot believes his working relationship with them will become even stronger this season.
“Not only those two,” said Slot.
“But you guys ask a lot about those two because they play so well. And maybe another reason as well! But for me it is not that important what they say in the media about whether they like it or buy in or not, it is important how they play. Both of them have shown – Mo even longer as he had a full pre-season and Virgil from when he came back – some really strong performances.”
When a new coach arrives - particularly having replaced someone as popular as his predecessor - winning over the biggest personalities is an immediate and daunting challenge.
Slot made a point of contacting Liverpool’s leadership group after his appointment, and their embracing of his methods has paid dividends so far. Liverpool meet Nottingham Forest on Saturday seeking a fourth consecutive league win and clean sheet.
The Dutchman acknowledged the circumstances in which he replaced Jurgen Klopp - the manager standing down with the team on the rise rather than forced out by poor results or a disillusioned fanbase or boardroom - meant it would take time to recreate the same bonds.
“This one is a bit more difficult than if you normally take over from a manager as normally you take over from someone who has worked there for two or three years,” said Slot.
“This was such a long time, so successful, you can’t expect that in four weeks you have the same relationship as Jurgen had in nine years. But then it is all up to work together, get to know each other and try to get performances in. If that happens, your relationship with every player will grow. I have no doubt their relationship with Jurgen is stronger because they had so long together. But it is up to us to create the same relationship, we started quite well but there is a lot to prove.”
