Liverpool were 4-2 winners on Sunday afternoon in their game with Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool were 4-2 winners on Sunday afternoon in their game with Tottenham Hotspur

Darwin Nunez shouldn't have been the story of Liverpool's 4-2 win over Spurs but his deleted social media posts now raises a major question

Darwin Nunez shouldn't have been the story of Liverpool's 4-2 win over Spurs but his deleted social media posts now raises a major question

Moments you may not have spotted during Liverpool's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday

Moments you may not have spotted during Liverpool's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday

Jurgen Klopp discussed his special bond with Liverpool supporters after the 4-2 win over Tottenham

Jurgen Klopp discussed his special bond with Liverpool supporters after the 4-2 win over Tottenham

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Dermot Gallagher said it was a risk worth taking for Joe Gomez's high foot as the player clearly kicked the ball before Brennan Johnson's head, making it difficult to give a penalty.

Arne Slot bid farewell to Feyenoord supporters following their penultimate home game of the season on Sunday, with emotional scenes as he prepares to depart.

Slot is due to take over as head coach of Liverpool at the end of the campaign, and will bring assistant Sipke Hulshoff, head of performance Ruben Peeters and technical advisor Etienne Reijnen with him.

With the most vocal sections of Feyenoord’s De Kuip closed for the final game of the season on May 19 due to sanctions from the Dutch FA, Sunday marked a big occasion.

After a 5-0 victory over PEC Zwolle, which came following the confirmation Feyenoord had finished second in the Eredivisie, supporters serenaded Slot and his staff.

https://t.co/VVldMpynN9 pic.twitter.com/Dy4ItwrUZG

— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) May 5, 2024

Slot’s name was sung before, during and after the game, while post-match he led his players over to the supporters, blowing kisses, cupping his ears and leading them through more chants.

There was a rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone, as is customary at Feyenoord, while Hulshoff was also greeted with a chant of his own.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Slot admitted that the scenes “looked like” a farewell.

“But it also has to do with what we achieved here in the last three seasons,” he added.

“I think they liked what we saw in the last three seasons and also today.

“But with all the rumours in the media, I think they are expecting me to leave, that is something we could say!”

Slot added: “Now I got the credit, and my assistant Sipke Hulshoff, and that’s not fair to all of the others. All of the others are also very important.

“If you look at the availability of all the players we have every time, the fitness they have, then our medical department and our performance department should get a lot of credit as well.

“But you know how it is in football, it’s always the head coach.

“That’s the nice thing when things are going well; when it’s not that good, it’s also about you as a head coach.

De Kuip is al een minuut of 10 bezig met een eerbetoon aan Arne Slot, de trainer van Feyenoord die naar Liverpool vertrekt. #feypec pic.twitter.com/JXvqsw3nOY

— Tim Reedijk (@timreedijk) May 5, 2024

? | Mooie momenten in De Kuip!
In de slotfase en na afloop van het duel met PEC Zwolle (5-0) wordt trainer Arne #Slot massaal toegezongen en moet zelf ook een liedje zingen. #Feyenoord #feypec pic.twitter.com/hjzNzDQ2Dw

— Dennis Kranenburg (@kranenburg1) May 5, 2024

“But I think the complete staff of Feyenoord and the players deserve a lot of credit for the way we performed here for the last three years.”

Slot is a beloved figure at Feyenoord, having led the club to the Eredivisie title as well as KNVB Cup success in his three seasons in charge, and that was reflected in the scenes of Sunday.

It bodes well for his next club that he has been able to forge such a strong bond with the Feyenoord supporters, with Liverpool fans valuing that connection with their managers.

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Arne Slot was all smiles again at the weekend after another win - this time against PEC Zwolle, the club with which he started and ended his playing career.

Slot is used to winning. In fact, he's never lost two league games in a row at Feyenoord. The team remain on course to secure more Eredivisie points this season than they did in their title-winning season 12 months ago.

Now he's going to swap Rotterdam for Liverpool. Swap the Nieuwe Mass for the Mersey. Swap one football-crazy river city for another.

The deal isn't official yet - but it's done.

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Feyenoord coach Arne Slot says he's confident an official announcement will be made about joining Liverpool but until then it wouldn't be 'honest' to discuss another club

Near the docks in Rotterdam, just down the road from De Kuip - Feyenoord's stadium - is a posh part of the city with an apt name. 'KOP Van Zuid' has apartments used by Feyenoord players and staff.

But Arne Slot prefers a quieter life whenever he gets a break from his daily football routine.

He moved to Zwolle, around a 90-minute drive from Rotterdam, when he played there. It remains his home city. For now.

It's a beautiful place, packed with ornate architecture. Sassenpoort - the old city gate - has a cannon guarding it. Just like the one on the Arsenal badge. It's a regular reminder for Slot, whose house is a few yards away, of the challenges ahead.

But Arsenal, Manchester City et al are a world away from where it all started.

"Go to Bergentheim, my hometown," Arne Slot urged me after his news conference last Thursday. "It's a good place."

So I did. I was warmly welcomed by Jan Ophof, who is still involved at VV Bergentheim, Slot's first club.

Young Arne was special even then, says Ophof, who was his first coach. At nine years old, Slot was promoted to the U12s - and already showing signs of being a coach.

"As a little boy, he was smart," Ophof recalls. "And he was technical, very good", he adds, proudly showing me a photo of the two of them together almost 40 years ago.

Image: Arne Slot during his days in youth football

"He made other players better. At nine years old, he was a leader on the field."

Ophof added: "He would come up to me and say, 'coach, can we do this? Can we do that?'

"He was very intelligent for his age. He was not a quick player for a No 10 but he had vision. He is very intelligent."

Slot's father, Arend, was a headteacher and part-time coach. He still lives in Bergentheim and also remains involved with the club.

"His father was a good footballer, too. A good family and Arne was a good boy," says Ophof.

Slot regularly returns to the club to coach youngsters and raise funds, and Ophof is proud of what he calls his "three per cent" role in Slot's rise to prominence.

"I'm proud," he says. "We are a small town of only 3,500 people. Now one of us is going to be coach of one of the biggest clubs in the world."

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Melissa Reddy shares the latest on Arne Slot's proposed switch to Liverpool to replace Jurgen Klopp

Ophof adds that Slot has a totally different personality to his Dutch counterpart and current Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag.

"He makes players good," explains Ophof. "He makes them better by making them happy.

"It's not like [Cristiano] Ronaldo with Ten Hag," he suggests. "With Mohamed Salah, maybe, he'll say, 'Salah, come here, let's talk'.

"They will talk it out for two hours. He will make Salah important for the team.

"The players love him. His arguments are good. Other trainers have arguments and you think, 'oh, that's not good'. But with Arne it's always good. He explains everything well. He's very good."

At De Kuip, the media centre has a head coach hall of fame. Slot and all his predecessors are pictured - Ruud Gullit, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Jaap Stam, Dick Advocaat and Ronald Koeman among them.

Image: Arne Slot has pride of place among the gallery of Feyenoord's greats

But Feyenoord fans I spoke to rate Slot highest of them all - and local journalists agree.

What's more, they back him to succeed in the Premier League where other Dutch managers have failed.

"I am quite hopeful," says De Telegraaf's Marcel van der Kraan. "I've seen other managers go to England and some of them I could kind of forecast that it will not work, because you cannot be blind to the English culture.

"But I only have to look at this guy and the way he presents himself, always with a smile. He is a very optimistic guy, a great communicator in the dressing room.

"The language in the Feyenoord dressing room from day one was English. His command of English is very good, as you can see in his press conferences."

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Feyenoord boss Arne Slot gives an inspirational team talk following a huge win against Ajax last season - his side then went on to win the Eredivisie

Van der Kraan has described Slot's football as "sexy" but believes his personality will be just as important in helping him deal with top stars for the first time, as well as bringing through youngsters.

"Personality is what you need in England to succeed in the Premier League as a foreign manager," says Van der Kraan. "You must have good communication with the media.

"He's been brilliant at that in the Netherlands and assume it will be the same in England. His personality may be just as important as his ideas and his philosophy about football.

"We've seen here that in every team he's coached, players have developed and improved. He leaves every club in a good financial situation because he's made sure that players have gone up in value and others come through to replace them.

"When he arrived here there was hardly any money. Now, even he says that the money is banging against the window."

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp appeared to endorse his potential successor Arne Slot, describing him as a 'good coach and a good guy'

Television reporter and Feyenoord correspondent Dennis van Eersel agrees that Slot has the confidence, belief and personality to fill the boots left by Jurgen Klopp.

"I think Slot can manage even those expectations," he says. "He can cope with this circumstance, which is huge - dealing with world-class players and a world-class club."

Back in Slot's home town, a former neighbour and boyhood friend, Albert Ligtenberg, can't wait for Slot to put little Bergentheim on the map.

Asked for his abiding memory of young Arne, he said: "He was always with a ball. Always playing football on the street or in the fields. A good boy."

Albert, two years older than Arne and now coaching a local boys' team, said: "Arne Slot is an inspiration." Liverpool will be hoping so.

Can he achieve by the Mersey the success and trophies he's managed by the Nieuwe Mass? Slot and those who know him believe he can.

As the Beautiful South once sang - almost - this could be Rotterdam or Liverpool.

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Former Liverpool star Ryan Babel has tipped Jürgen Klopp to surprise people with his next job after the Reds, having suggested Real Madrid doesn’t deserve him.

Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the current season. With just two games remaining in the Premier League campaign, the German has less than two weeks remaining in his time at Anfield.

He will bring the curtain down on his time on Merseyside against Wolves on May 19. Arne Slot is expected to succeed him, having all but confirmed his appointment on Sunday.

READ MORE: Man Utd 'makes Erik ten Hag decision' as Arsenal could get same transfer boost as Liverpool

READ MORE: Darwin Núñez deletes all but one Liverpool image from Instagram amid transfer rumors

Much less is known about what lies in store for Klopp though. The 56-year-old has made his intentions clear to take at least a year out from football, although it’s not yet clear what he will do thereafter.

Although the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and the German national team have been touted as possible destinations, Babel believes Klopp could take everyone by surprise with his next job.

"There are not many teams, in my opinion, who deserve Jürgen Klopp," Babel exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone (via the Mirror). "He's a coach who needs to be accepted for who he is. He's someone who needs time to completely express his way of playing.

"So, with that being said, while I would love to see him be successful with a team like Real Madrid, we know that Real Madrid are not a team who are going to give him two or three years to eventually show the football that he wants to play. So, I don't think Real Madrid deserve him.

‌"Even a team like Bayern, you know, they don't have a lot of patience for managers. There are rumors that he might coach the German national team... I don't know about that. But I think he'll definitely surprise a lot of people."

Despite planning to take at least a year out of football, Babel also believes Klopp’s sabbatical will not last as long as he plans.

"He will probably go away to a lot of holiday destinations, drink some beer and spend some quality time with his family. He'll try to release all the stress, in a good environment with his family, before he inevitably goes back to work.

‌"Judging from the outside, and knowing Jürgen Klopp, he's far from done. I think he'll get bored within six months and he'll want to work again."

Liverpool.com says: It will be interesting to see what’s next for Klopp. If and when he does decide to return to football, he will surely have his pick of clubs, although we can at least rule out a return to the Premier League for him.

Real Madrid does seem a logical next step, but as Babel points out, Los Blancos don’t exactly show much patience with their managers. The German national team then might make more sense, especially if Klopp doesn’t want to contend with the rigors of club football again.

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How the national media reacted to Liverpool's 4-2 home win over Tottenham Hotspur as the Reds prepare to say goodbye to Jurgen Klopp

How the national media reacted to Liverpool's 4-2 home win over Tottenham Hotspur as the Reds prepare to say goodbye to Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool fans have long been known for their passion and creativity in connection to the club, and Jurgen Klopp has now emphasised how “special” this is.

After Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Tottenham, Klopp was asked about a supporter with whom he recently met and shared a special moment.

The supporter in question was Abigail Rudkin, a Liverpudlian artist whose video showing Klopp her painting recently went viral.

Klopp remembered the moment and said: “I met Abigail, what a wonderful girl she is, obviously very talented.

Today was the best day ever ?
After years of painting Jurgen, I finally got to show him my work??
He said “we need to get a video! Let’s do a video”. I was in utter shock.
The nicest person I’ve ever met. Hopefully he hasn’t seen the last of me yet? pic.twitter.com/cnfclYpFKb

— Abigail Rudkin (@rudkin_abigail) May 2, 2024

“I’m really happy that we (Liverpool) have these kinds of people. We have thousands, maybe one hundred thousand people who are creative, who create things, who paint different faces on the wall, where you think ‘my god’!

“Other clubs don’t do that that frequently.”

That last line is something that makes Liverpool, as a club and a city, proud. It is testament to Klopp’s relationship with the people that he recognises such things.

The creativity of the club was on full display on Sunday as Anfield hosted a ‘Flag Day’, marking 30 years since the Kop’s last stand.

• READ HERE: The Kop’s last stand – 30 years since Anfield’s “carnival atmosphere” farewell

Before the game, the Kop displayed an iconic banner that was restored recently by supporter Peter Carney. It was also out on the last day of the standing Kop in 1994.

An iconic banner and a piece of LFC history made its return to The Kop today ?? https://t.co/XHeXNWvvIf

— This Is Anfield (@thisisanfield) May 5, 2024

While the creativity and enthusiasm to create such art will always live on among the fanbase, it is driven by having a team to get behind.

Klopp has delivered that and put a spring back into the step of supporters. He said: “This is a very very special club; I didn’t make them (the fans) believe, I reminded them that it helps when you believe.

“Everybody was ready to push the train. That’s what we did now for eight-and-a-half years.”

What a line that is to sum up how he turned Liverpool’s fortunes and created a lasting bond with the fans.

For a man whose first language isn’t English, he can make such an impact with his words.

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Liverpool analysis from Ian Doyle after the entertaining victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday

Liverpool analysis from Ian Doyle after the entertaining victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday

Liverpool won't be the only club undergoing a period of change this summer, though few transitions will be as daunting as the departure from Jürgen Klopp. Arne Slot is an exciting appointment but he has big shoes to fill.

Elsewhere around the Premier League, there could be movement. David Moyes appears a certainty to leave West Ham United while changes in coach at Manchester United, Chelsea and others cannot be ruled out.

And then there is the inevitable churn of transfers that will take place. Liverpool got more drawn into that last summer through the necessity to change almost all of its midfield in one go, but while the Reds might be less heavily involved in the market this time around, there are improvements in the squad that need to be made.

READ MORE: Darwin Núñez deletes all but one Liverpool image from Instagram amid transfer rumors

READ MORE: Arne Slot to take up Jürgen Klopp offer as plan confirmed ahead of Liverpool manager appointment

Even if Manchester City wins the Premier League title again, as most people expect from here, Liverpool and Arsenal should both be capable of making it a three-team title race next season. Here, Liverpool.com takes a scan around the Premier League and across the continent to see what's going on at Liverpool's rivals.

Man Utd 'makes Erik ten Hag decision'

Erik ten Hag is under pressure at Manchester United, according to Football Insider. It reports that the Dutchman will be replaced this summer, with Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel now having been installed as the leading contender to take over at Old Trafford when he departs his current role at the end of the campaign following a disappointing stint back in his homeland.

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Tuchel has lost out on the Bundesliga title to Xabi Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen this season and things have not gone smoothly in Bavaria, though he could yet win the Champions League again having drawn 2-2 with Real Madrid in the first leg of the semi-final. Either way, he is expected to leave the German giant so no compensation package would be required.

Liverpool.com says: Tuchel would be more of a short-term fix judging by his past experiences at top clubs. He would go to Manchester United and shake things up but other short-term coaches have tried and failed at Old Trafford in recent years. Just because you are a good coach, that doesn't mean you can turn around all of the other things that need fixing there.

Arsenal could get Saudi transfer boost

Just like Liverpool did when it sold Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia last summer for inflated fees, Arsenal could boost its summer coffers by selling a couple of stars to the Middle East this time around. The Reds generated $65m (£52m/€60m) between those two midfielders in 2023, partly funding a rebuild in that department.

According to GiveMeSport, Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey are both players that Mikel Arteta would consider cashing in on in the upcoming transfer window. Saudi clubs have supposedly been made aware of this and are lining up moves for the duo.

Liverpool.com says: It will be interesting to see whether players are interested in Saudi moves this summer or whether they have been put off by what has unfolded this season. Equally, it will be interesting to see what kind of fees players like Jesus and Partey generate. They are very good players, but don't have the same level of appeal of Karim Benzema or even Henderson.

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After the morale-sapping setbacks of recent weeks, Liverpool provided a much-needed injection of positivity.

Not even their late descent from the sublime to the ridiculous against Tottenham could wipe the smile off Jurgen Klopp’s face and understandably so.

There he was, throwing fist pumps in front of the Kop as a buoyant Anfield serenaded their outgoing manager. Having come to terms with the fact there will be no glorious finale to this era, the mood was celebratory and appreciative.

This was much more like it. A team who had lost their way so alarmingly rediscovered their swagger for the penultimate home game of Klopp’s reign.

The eight-day break between matches helped, as Liverpool had an energy and intensity that had been conspicuous by its absence. The lack of pressure also enabled the hosts to play with fluency and freedom, which weren’t evident during the anxiety-enhanced struggles of the past month.

If the unravelling of their Premier League title challenge exposed some glaring deficiencies that incoming head coach Arne Slot will need to address this summer, here was a timely reminder of the array of talent Klopp will leave behind.

Inside Jurgen Klopp’s departure from Liverpool…

It is a very different situation from the one at Manchester United when Sir Alex Ferguson walked away in 2013. This isn’t an ageing squad and there isn’t a major rebuilding job required after an icon departs.

One of the many reasons Fenway Sports Group CEO of football Michael Edwards and new sporting director Richard Hughes decided Slot was the perfect fit for Liverpool was his track record of putting his faith in and developing young players.

Klopp has bullishly stated that this is the perfect time to be taking over given the age range and quality of the personnel already on board. Still, it’s wishful thinking that the transition will be seamless given the size of the boots to fill and Klopp’s sheer force of personality.

If Liverpool opting for Slot is a gamble given he hasn’t coached outside the Netherlands, you could argue the Feyenoord boss is also taking a risk by accepting the opportunity to follow in Klopp’s footsteps.

But you can see why he’s backing himself to succeed. So many of the tools are already in place. Who wouldn’t want to work with Harvey Elliott?

Only 21 but with 117 senior appearances already under his belt, he dazzled against Tottenham — relentless with his pressing out of possession and so effective with the ball at his feet.

Elliott created Liverpool’s third goal for Cody Gakpo with a wonderful cross before scoring the fourth with a stunning strike from just outside the box.

“Harvey is exceptional,” Klopp said.

“He was for a long time one of our best players when he played right wing when Mohamed Salah was injured or at the Africa Cup of Nations. In the midfield position, that was probably in the top three or four performances from him today.

“Everybody needs moments to gain even more confidence. What a goal! He worked really hard in the other direction as well.”

Elliott celebrates his excellent goal (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

What a breakthrough season it has been for Jarell Quansah, too, who has gone from being regarded as the fifth-choice centre-back to deservedly getting picked ahead of Ibrahima Konate. The 21-year-old academy graduate, who has featured 31 times this season, is still learning his trade, but the potential is clear.

There was also the welcome sight of Stefan Bajcetic, 19, getting his first taste of Premier League football since March 2023 as the young midfielder gets back up to speed after a long absence due to injury.

Just look at Sunday’s bench. Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones are 23, Ryan Gravenberch is 21, and Conor Bradley is 20.

Come the start of pre-season in July, rookies Jayden Danns, Bobby Clark, Ben Doak, Kaide Gordon, Trey Nyoni and Lewis Koumas will be among those battling to catch Slot’s eye.

Some fresh blood will also be required. With Joel Matip and Thiago departing as free agents, there’s a need to strengthen the back line and the midfield.

It will be intriguing to see what happens at the top end of the pitch. Gakpo, who was once again picked ahead of Darwin Nunez, caused Tottenham plenty of problems. The Dutch attacker is ending his first full season at Anfield in style. In contrast, Nunez produced an erratic late cameo.

Gakpo ended a six-game run without a goal (John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Hughes will be tasked with addressing the contract situations of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold once the campaign is over and there was food for thought here.

Salah delivered the perfect response to his show of petulance on the touchline at West Ham as he produced his most eye-catching performance of 2024.

The Egyptian nodded home the opener, saw his shot parried before Andy Robertson netted the second, and provided the layoff for Elliott’s majestic strike. Salah became the first player in Premier League history to score 10 or more goals and provide 10 or more assists in three consecutive seasons. His battle with Emerson Royal was a mismatch and he wreaked havoc.

Alexander-Arnold was at his dynamic best and Slot, who loves inverted full-backs, must be licking his lips at the prospect of being able to call upon someone with his skill set. Sorting out the vice-captain future’s has to be at the top of Hughes’ in-tray.

From a position of complete dominance at 4-0 up, Liverpool clocked off. A bit of complacency crept in and the array of substitutions made it disjointed and allowed Tottenham to half the deficit.

Liverpool still haven’t kept a clean sheet at home in the league since mid-December. Alisson’s displeasure at that wait being extended was clear for all to see.

“We lost a bit of organisation,” explained Klopp. “It’s not great but it’s human. We were outstanding until we were not good.”

This was the club’s season in microcosm — scintillating at times, baffling at others – but the good far outweighed the bad.

Klopp’s long goodbye is reaching an emotional crescendo. Two games to go with third place secured. Sunday changed the mood after Liverpool’s recent woes and shone a light on some of the riches Slot will inherit.

(Top photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

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Harvey Elliott was one of the outstanding performers in the 4-2 win at Anfield, which helped changed the mood after Liverpool's recent woes