The inspiration at heart of Slot and Guardiola's rivalry

Liverpool and Man City bosses set to meet for the first time

- RICHARD JOLLY

Arne Slot liked what he heard and then what he saw. He had tuned in on Tuesday. He had a personal and a professional interest when his former club visited his next opponents. “What made this game special for me was more sitting at home, putting the volume up and hearing the Feyenoord fans singing my name,” he said. “That’s the biggest compliment you can get if you leave a club, that the fans still like you.”

The team that Slot built then shocked the side he will face on today. Manchester City were seemingly heading to Anfield this weekend with a restorative win. Then came a comeback for the ages and for the watching Slot: no side had been 3-0 down that late in a European Cup game and avoided defeat. “For me as a Feyenoord fan, I could hardly believe what I saw,” said Slot.

“At 3-1 you thought, ‘OK…’ but then City took control again. Then it was 3-2 and then 3-3. You don’t see this very often. It was the first time in the history of the Champions League this has happened.” It prompted Slot to get in touch with some old friends. “I spoke to more than a few people to congratulate them but it was not in a tactical manner,” he said.