Chelsea got one over on Liverpool this afternoon with a 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge against the new Premier League champions.

The Blues took the lead within the first three minutes as Liverpool never looked like taking Chelsea to the cleaners, with Arne Slot making six changes to the starting XI that last week blew Tottenham away 5-1.

With Liverpool fans celebrating Cole Palmer’s stoppage-time penalty, it’s clear that this match was a write-off for supporters, with Gary Neville predicting the Reds to look sluggish against Chelsea having won the title last weekend.

Despite today’s defeat, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was impressed with what he saw from Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, with the Italian manager sharing the two reasons he believes the Reds won the Premier League title this season.

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Speaking to the press after today’s 3-1 win, Maresca highlighted how Liverpool’s consistent form in the league has helped them win the Premier League title as early as they have, with the Chelsea manager also noting the Reds’ lack of major long-term injuries to key players.

Although Liverpool have had the likes of Alisson Becker and Trent Alexander-Arnold out injured for some periods during the season, Slot has been relatively lucky when compared to other teams in the Premier League when it comes to fitness issues, a point that Maresca seemingly believes as well.

Maresca said: “I really think that Liverpool deserved to win the Premier League.

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“Today again they show why they have won the Premier League.

We plan the game to high press in the way we always do, but sometimes the opposition is so good that you have to defend deep, you have to adapt, and the players dealt with that very good.”

Liverpool’s ability to win games this Premier League season despite not playing that great during some games has been a key reason why Slot has managed to secure the title in his first year in charge in England, with few fans expecting such success from the Dutchman.

And heading into next season, Liverpool need to ensure that they maintain their consistency into next season, with a better squad and Slot having more players he can trust in his squad being the next step in the Anfield side returning to their former glory.

Indeed, the tools are all there for Slot to take Liverpool to the next level, and the right signings and moves in the summer could be all that’s needed for the Reds to establish themselves as the team to beat in England.


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