Manchester City provided Liverpool some much-needed luck this season, says Arne Slot | OneFootball

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has admitted that Manchester City provided his side with some much-needed luck in their Premier League title success this season.

The Merseyside club became the club to break Pep Guardiola’s historical run of consecutive Premier League titles over the course of the now-concluded season, after City had claimed all of the four top-flight crowns prior to the Anfield triumph.

Ultimately, there was not too much in the way of a serious challenge to Liverpool’s pursuit, as Arsenal fell off in their own chase towards the end of the campaign, while Manchester City themselves were largely out of the running by late December.

Many of Pep Guardiola’s own struggles to compete were put down to injury and fitness problems at a crucial phase of the season, with his squad heavily depleted in November and December, in addition to long-term issues sustained by Rodri and Oscar Bobb.

Now, speaking in a new wide-ranging interview with BBC Sport’s Dan Roan, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has opened up on the slice of luck that Manchester City presented his side with during their Premier League title success this season.

“You can reach a final with good luck, and you can never win a league with only having a lot of luck,” Slot insisted.

“Maybe we were a bit lucky that [Manchester] City had – for the first time in five years – a difficult period,” he added.

“But we were also part of that difficult period, because we beat them at home [when] they had already lost a few… and we didn’t have one, and that’s what you need when you want to win a league like this.

“You cannot have a longer period of games where you drop points.”

Pep Guardiola was keen to insist on his belief that Manchester City will show an improvement next season after he and his players booked their place in the UEFA Champions League for the next campaign after a 0-2 final day win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

But on whether his side could challenge Liverpool for the Premier League title immediately next season, the Catalan coach explained, “We are miles away from them! How many points are they in front of us?! That is the reality.”

Guardiola and his players will now embark on a short break from club duties, while some stars will be involved in international action over the next fortnight, before reconvening to begin their challenge and tournament at the summer’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.