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United States President Donald Trump joins the celebrations as Chelsea lift the FIFA Club World Cup(Image: David Ramos/Getty Images)

Get your thinking caps on, folks.

Instead, a two-part poser that merely requires a positive or negative response: did you watch the FIFA Club World Cup and, by winning the competition, have Chelsea now ensured they had a better season than Liverpool?

The low television viewing figures, paltry online interest and predominantly collective media shrug in the United Kingdom suggest that for those who don't support the Londoners or the Premier League's other representative, Manchester City, the tournament has been a complete non-event.



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None of that will have come as a surprise.

The real contention comes when considering the second part of the initial question.

Consider these comments from Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca after his team had surprisingly thumped Paris Saint-Germain - Liverpool's vanquishers in last season's Champions League - 3-0 in Sunday's final.

"The truth is one day I have the feeling that this competition is going to be as important, if not more important, than the Champions League," said Maresca.

"This competition is one of the best in the world.

Can Chelsea, then, claim a better campaign?

As for the badge mentioned by Maresca, easily forgotten is when Liverpool won the previous incarnation of the Club World Cup in 2019, they were allowed to wear the accolade for just one Premier League game and a handful of Champions League matches.

When Chelsea won it in 2021, the rule was changed to allow them to wear it for a year, while Manchester City, winners in 2023, had it emblazoned on their shirts for almost 18 months.

Now, there will of course be those who state detractors of the tournament who follow clubs who didn't qualify are just being envious, gorging on sour grapes.

But former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp spoke for many earlier in the summer when he declared: "It's all about the game and not the surrounding events - and that's why the Club World Cup is the worst idea ever implemented in football in this regard.

"People who have never had or do not have anything to do with day-to-day business anymore are coming up with something.

In any case, the Italian had been replaced by Xabi Alonso at the Bernabeu by the time the tournament started last month.

And this is how the competition will impact Liverpool and the remainder of the Premier League.

History suggests the momentum and confidence gained by Chelsea from their strong end to the last domestic campaign and their success in the United States means they will be expected to hit the ground running when the Premier League resumes next month.

Maresca claimed midway through last season his team weren't ready for a Premier League title tilt.
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