Arne Slot opens up on challenge of replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool despite flying start as he addresses similarities to legendary ex-Reds boss

Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of Liverpool's clash against Aston Villa on Saturday, the Dutch manager provided eye-opening answers on inheriting Klopp's Liverpool, how he has adjusted to the job, and what has been behind his early success on Merseyside.

Slot, who joined Liverpool in the summer following Klopp's shock departure, has some sizeable shoes to fill. In his time with the Reds, Klopp won the club it first ever Premier League title, reached three Champions League finals, winning one of them, and claimed a handful of other domestic and international trophies, including the Club World Cup.

Prior to taking the job at Liverpool, Slot coached Feyenoord for three years, and in 2023 steered them to their first league title since 2017, winning manager of the season in the process. He certainly has the resume and style to be a success at Anfield, but fans were worried it would be a Sir Alex Ferguson situation in that anyone who followed in the footsteps of Klopp was doomed to fail.

Thankfully for supporters, Liverpool have made a superb start under Slot, and currently sit top of the Premier League with eight wins from 10 games, and the Dutchman has detailed how and why the start of his tenure has gone as well as it has.

Speaking to TNT, Slot addressed the transition from his home country of the Netherlands to the north-west of England, saying: "The biggest change I think was (in) my private life. Professionally I felt at home after a few days."

Asked about Liverpool's explosive start to the season, Slot answered: "My expectations were not about the amount of wins or those kind of things, when you come in at a new club you want the team to play as soon as they can to the standards you want them to play, getting across your ideas as soon as we can."

Addressing certain similarities between himself and Klopp, the Dutchman added: "In general, I think what Jurgen's teams like to do and what my teams like to do as well is to press really high, sometimes it's maybe a bit different in formation, but the idea is the same, and we both like to score goals!

"For me it was really important that they (Liverpool) chose me because of the way I play and not because I won the league in Holland."

Slot's Liverpool look to continue their impressive run of form when they host Champions League chasers Villa in a key fixture in the last gameweek before the international break. Should they beat the Villans, they could move five points clear at the summit should Manchester City taste defeat at the hands of Brighton.