Slot Wary Of Premier League Dangers Despite ‘Big’ Man City Win

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Despite extending an 11-point lead with a 2-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday, Liverpool manager Arne Slot said the depth of the Premier League meant his side can take nothing for granted.

Second-placed Arsenal are in the lead, but Slot’s men made a huge comeback with their first league victory at the Etihad Stadium in ten years, leading to a record-equal 20th English top flight title.

During Pep Guardiola’s time in charge, cities have won four straight titles in the last four seasons, dominating English football.

They haven’t been as effective this year, and they are now 20 points adrift of Liverpool, who are currently fourth.

“If you play away at the Etihad, if you win there, it’s always a big win, no matter what the league table looks like,” said Slot.

After Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai scored in the first half, City ran out of ideas in their pitiful search for a way back into the game. The travelling Liverpool supporters sang, “We are going to win the league.”

Slot, though, remains cautious after suffering a shock FA Cup exit to second-tier Plymouth Argyle earlier this month and being pushed all the way by relegation-threatened Wolves in a 2-1 win last weekend.

“The fans can sing whatever they want, I think they’ve been singing it quite long already. But as a team, we are aware of how hard we must work to ensure that every victory is celebrated,” Slot continued.

“So in every other league, having a lead like this would be very comfortable, except for this one, because this league, every single game gives you a lot of challenges.

“Even Plymouth Argyle gave us a lot of challenges. ”

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City Miss the ‘Magic’

Pep Guardiola, the Spanish manager of Manchester City, reacts during the Manchester City and Liverpool match of the English Premier League at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north-west England, on February 23, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

When Guardiola’s men lost just one win in 13 games between October and December, City’s title defense was actually over.

City were much more competitive with the Premier League champions-elect after a harrowing Champions League exit to Real Madrid in midweek.

The home side enjoyed 66 percent possession and had 16 shots on goal to Liverpool’s eight.

However, Liverpool could rely on Salah for inspiration in the final third while City were lacking Erling Haaland’s talismanic presence as a result of their injury.

“I think (Jeremy) Doku and Savinho played an incredible game and got to the by-line a lot but then just from there we missed the magic,” said Guardiola.

“We played really good so I have no regrets. The chances in the final third, when we want to shoot and cross, for the amount we arrived there, we did not create much. ”

Guardiola claims that City has occasionally appeared to be an ageing team during this season’s fall from grace.

But the Catalan coach saw signs of rejuvenation as three of his January signings, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov, started along with the likes of Doku, Savinho, Rico Lewis and Phil Foden.

“I saw a bright future. Other than Kevin (De Bruyne) and Nathan (Ake), they are the future of this club in the next years, with others who will come in future windows. ”