Slot, Guardiola Urge Calm After EPL Clubs Stumble In Champions League First Legs

Managers across the Premier League have urged restraint after English clubs endured a bruising week in the UEFA Champions League last-16 first legs.

None of the six sides from England managed a victory, prompting debate over whether the league’s reputation as Europe’s strongest competition has taken a hit.

Arne Slot, whose Liverpool FC side slipped to a 1-0 defeat away to Galatasaray SK, said it was far too early to draw sweeping conclusions.

“To jump to a conclusion after one gameday, I think that’s such a small sample size, that’s never the smartest thing to do,” said Slot. “Maybe, after next week, we will have a completely different conclusion.

“In general, it’s not helpful for English clubs not to have a winter break. I’m not saying all these teams lost because we don’t have a winter break.

“Why [the lack of victories]? Because you are facing, in the last 16 of Europe, some very good teams. And, four of the five [other] teams in the Champions League played away from home.

“That’s usually an advantage to play at home or a disadvantage to play away. To jump to conclusions, [whether it is] missing a winter break, [or that] the level of the Premier League is not as high as we expected it to be, that would be, for me at this moment, the right conclusion to make.”

Elsewhere, Arsenal drew 1-1 at Bayer Leverkusen, while Newcastle United held Barcelona to the same scoreline at St James’ Park.

It was a tougher outing for Arsenal’s London rivals. Chelsea were beaten 5-2 by Paris Saint-Germain, and Tottenham Hotspur suffered an identical defeat at Atlético Madrid.

Defending European champions Manchester City also face a mountain to climb after a 3-0 loss at Real Madrid.

City boss Pep Guardiola insisted the results should not be used to question the quality of English football.

“Before, we were the best league in the world, right?” said Guardiola. “After what happened this week, we are not.

“I am pretty sure we are an incredible league. The league is fantastic but in this competition [Champions League], with one or two games, anything can happen.

“That means, other leagues, are good too. Now everybody talks about Bodo/Glimt in Norway, right? Top team.

“Win against Sporting, win against Inter Milan, win against us, Atletico Madrid. Everybody is tough. Everybody is more prepared and has incredible respect for the other one.”

City’s defeat continues a difficult history against Real Madrid in Europe, with the Spanish giants eliminating Guardiola’s side four times in the knockout stages.

Despite the poor first-leg returns, history suggests English clubs could yet recover. In the 2022-23 season, no Premier League team won their last-16 first leg, yet both Chelsea and Manchester City still progressed to the quarter-finals.