Matt Maher: Arne Slot's comments should delight Aston Villa fans, not rile them

The Dutchman’s demeanour was as serene as the progress of his Liverpool team: Top of tables both domestic and European, qualified for the Carabao Cup final.

Yet at the first sign of a wobble, an embarrassing FA Cup exit at Plymouth followed by a couple of frustrating results in the Premier League, Slot has proven to be human after all. Suddenly, the job doesn't seem so easy.

First came the meltdown which saw he and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff sent-off after the final whistle at Goodison Park following a 2-2 draw at Everton, a transgression for which both are likely to be hit with touchline bans.

Then, after Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at Villa, Slot delivered some uncharacteristically catty comments about the pre-match entertainment.

“We come over here and I see fireworks. I don’t know if they do this every game, but I assume that it is because it’s Liverpool,” he said, when responding to a question about whether opposition teams raise their game when facing his side.

It was a remark which drew the ire of some Villa supporters, who were quick to point out fireworks - and indeed flamethrowers - are now par for the course at every match.

Yet in truth, those fans should be delighted. Slot’s comments might not have been the classiest ever to have left his mouth but they came from a sense of frustration at what he perceived were two dropped points.

From Villa’s perspective, they might best be viewed as a backhanded compliment. Unai Emery’s team, the supporters and perhaps the whole occasion had gotten under Slot’s skin. When the big guns roll into town, that’s exactly how you want them to be, though for years at Villa Park the opposite was usually true.

Few managers ever spoke so warmly about Villa as a club as Sir Alex Ferguson, yet he almost always did so before travelling back to Manchester with the annual three points in his pocket.

You might think Slot lacked a little grace, or alternatively sympathise with a man feeling a little pressure who simply stated how he felt. Either way, if the opposition manager is leaving in a huff, it usually means you’re doing something right.