Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, honors Jurgen Klopp and celebrates the remarkable accomplishment of being the first Dutch national to secure the Premier League title.

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Arne Slot has paid tribute to his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp, following Liverpool’s emphatic confirmation as Premier League champions with a stunning 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.

The Reds showcased their attacking prowess with a five-star display, featuring goals from Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, and a Destiny Udogie own goal, all coming after Dominic Solanke’s unexpected opener for Spurs.

Slot believes that Klopp laid the groundwork for this season’s success and expressed immense pride in becoming the first Dutch manager to clinch a Premier League title. In an interview with Sky Sports, he stated, “It’s not only my job, but the players and the staff and the work that Jurgen and Pep Lijnders left behind here. The culture, work rate, and quality of the team were outstanding; we all knew that. We started off really well, and it maybe helped that Man City had a difficult spell which they haven’t had in five years.”

Reflecting on the season’s expectations, he added, “When the season started, everybody would’ve been happy if we got in the top four and Champions League football next season, but I don’t think that was fair to our players, because they are much better than that, and they showed that this season.”

When asked about the significance of being the first Dutchman to win the Premier League, Slot remarked, “Of course that’s special. It’s always special to win something; it’s even more special if you’re the first one, and even more special if you’re at a club that’s not used to winning it every year.”

Liverpool have maintained their status as champions elect for much of the campaign, but Slot insisted that complacency was never a factor. He expressed his delight at winning the title in front of a packed Anfield, especially after the fans were absent five years ago due to the Covid pandemic.

“You see what’s happening here, even before the game. Five years ago, they won the league, an amazing accomplishment, but the fans weren’t here, so you could feel how important it was for them to be here,” he said.

“The boys did an outstanding job today, including the fans. It wasn’t ideal going 1-0 behind, but we trusted these players, and they always find a way to win. It’s not the first time they’ve been a goal behind, and I don’t think we could’ve lost today if we were in the stadium.”

Slot also addressed the pressure of the title race, stating, “Our main focus was on winning this game. Everyone said, ‘You already won it’, but when you’re part of it, you still feel the pressure of getting a point to get over the line. That makes it special.”

When asked when he first believed Liverpool could win the league, he replied, “For a long time, because we were on top of the league for most of the season, and we had a team that could win it. But you also know how tough the Premier League is. So, you cannot take anything for granted, but the belief for us to win it was there throughout the season.”