LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Arne Slot vs. Xabi Alonso had the makings of an epic battle.
In the end it was the Liverpool coach who cruised to victory against the man many believed was destined to take over at Anfield this season.
A hat trick from Luis Diaz and a goal from Cody Gakpo saw Liverpool beat German champion Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday and further endear Slot to the Merseyside club's fans, who joyously sang his name at the end.
“People singing for a manager is not that common, at least not in Holland,” Slot said.
It all seems so easy for the Dutchman, who replaced Jurgen Klopp in the summer and has led Liverpool to the top of the Premier League and now the Champions League after an outstanding start to his reign.
That's win number 14 from his 16 games in charge, but this felt particularly symbolic, given his rival in the opposition dugout.
Slot seems too level-headed to have concerned himself with the subplot of facing Alonso, who is arguably the most sought-after young coach in Europe and someone who was considered a leading candidate to succeed Klopp at Liverpool.
A former Champions League-winning player for the club, the stars seemed to align when Klopp made the surprise announcement in January that he would step down at the end of last season. At that time Alonso was well on the way to leading Leverkusen to an undefeated domestic campaign and a German league and cup double.
Slot's name seemed a long way from the conversation.
Wind the clock forward and Alonso, who was also linked another his former clubs, Bayern Munich, shut down talk of moving anywhere when declaring he would remain at Leverkusen.
Liverpool looked elsewhere, Slot was the man chosen to succeed Klopp and it could hardly have gone better for him or the club.
The former Feyenoord coach is making light work of filling the void left by an Anfield icon and one of the most successful managers of his generation. These are early days, but Liverpool looks ready to challenge for the biggest titles right from the off under the new manager.
Instead of feeling the pressure of living up to the standards set by Klopp, who won a full set of trophies, including the Premier League and Champions, Slot is embracing it.
“We want to be there where we are now, we want to compete for everything,” he said. “Therefore you have to accept that if you work here or play here, that there’s pressure.”
Leverkusen may not be the force it was last season, having won just three of its last nine games in all competitions, but this was still a hugely impressive result for Slot's team.
It was Leverkusen's heaviest loss in more than two years — since a 5-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in Alonso's third game in charge.
“It can happen that you come to Anfield and lose. To lose 4-0 is not nice. They are a top, top team and they punished us," Alonso said.
There was the potential for a very different narrative on the night. One where Alonso — whose name was also sung by the home crowd — made a triumphant return and showed Liverpool what they might have had if he'd been the one to succeed Klopp.
And even in defeat, his reputation remains high after leading Leverkusen to its first German title and ending Bayern's 11-year reign as champion. Only a loss to Atalanta in the final of the Europa League prevented him from completing a trophy treble.
Little wonder he has been talked of as a future manager of Europe's grandest clubs, including Real Madrid.
But Liverpool looks to be in good hands with Slot, whose rise has been more understated.
Despite winning the Dutch league with Feyenoord, he was not an obvious choice to step into Klopp's shoes.
He doesn't exude the same charisma as the German on the sidelines. He doesn't fire up the crowd or the players with the type chest thumping that Klopp was famed for.
Yet he has quietly taken to the job with impressive ease and his team is doing its talking on the field.
A record of eight wins from 10 in the Premier League has Liverpool leading the way ahead of four-time defending champion Manchester City.
A 100% start in the Champions League now leaves the rest of Europe's top clubs in Liverpool's wake — City and reigning champion Real Madrid included.
“Things have gone so well with the new manager, it wasn’t easy for him to come in and fill Jurgen Klopp’s shoes,” Diaz said. “Hopefully, we’ll have something to show for it at the end of the season.”
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
James Robson, The Associated Press
