A Day Before the Match Against Brentford, Arne Slot Criticised the Premier League

Arne Slot: "The Premier League is much more demanding than the Eredivisie"

Just one day before facing Brentford in a match where Diogo Jota might be unavailable, Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted that the Premier League demands a significantly higher level of effort compared to the Eredivisie, his previous league.

It might go unnoticed due to Liverpool’s near-perfect start to the season, but Slot, who took charge in August, is still a newcomer to English football. With a modest playing career, Slot never left the Netherlands, where he began his managerial journey with AZ Alkmaar (2019-2020) before making his mark at Feyenoord Rotterdam (2021-2024).

It was precisely his time at Feyenoord—where he won the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022, the Eredivisie title in 2023, and the KNVB Cup in 2024—that allowed him to step up and become Klopp’s successor at Liverpool. Klopp, meanwhile, departed in May to take on the role of global director of football at Red Bull.

The Challenge of the Premier League

Slot highlighted how impressed he was by the Premier League's level of competition from the moment he arrived in England, something he realized during his very first match. Interestingly, he mistakenly recalled Brentford as his first opponent at Anfield, though his actual debut was against Ipswich, as reporters corrected.

"I think Brentford was my first game in the Premier League (though it was actually against Ipswich, according to the reporters' notes), and I thought if that’s the level of resistance we’ll face every week, this league would be far tougher than the Eredivisie," he said during the press conference.

According to Slot, that initial impression wasn’t wrong. "The threats in the Premier League are constant; every game is a tough challenge," added the Dutch coach, who will aim to keep proving his capabilities in Saturday's clash against Brentford.

With a clear playing style and the ability to convey his ideas to his squad, Arne Slot has managed to transition smoothly into English football. However, he continues to emphasize the stark difference in quality and competitiveness that defines the Premier League.