Liverpool head coach Arne Slot says he sees Chelsea as one of the Reds’ three “main competitors” for the Premier League title.
Enzo Maresca’s side are currently in 3rd place, nine points behind the league leaders, but Slot believes the Blues, Arsenal and Manchester City are Liverpool’s biggest rivals this season:
“It’s a long season and to win the league against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and City – because I see those three as our main competitors – that you have to be on top of our game for 10 months. We’ve seen the quality of the three already and know we have to stay on top of our game.”
Chelsea fans on X reacted in very different ways to Slot’s remarks, with some agreeing with him, while others feel their team isn’t ready to compete for honours quite yet:
He's not lying. They are the only team that can challenge Liverpool at the moment
— Dr. DailyTips (@IFconsults) December 3, 2024
We are not title contenders, we just want to enter top 4 that's all
— Jibola Ayinde (@AjibolaDestiny3) December 3, 2024
Oh now they're not laughing at Chelsea anymore?
— BIG DADDY (@bigdaddyvinz) December 3, 2024
Noo we are not
— The Coolest Chels (@Coolest_Chels) December 3, 2024
Arne knows ball
— Kodark (@Kodark____) December 3, 2024
This time last season we were struggling to get points..what a turn around
— JammieCFC (@JammieChels) December 3, 2024
Maresca has been keen to play down the club’s title chances
Speaking in the build-up to the Southampton game, Chelsea’s manager was pretty adamant that his team won’t be competing with the likes of Liverpool at the top of the table.
When asked about the club’s title chances in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Maresca declared that they are “not ready” to challenge.
Chelsea are heading in the right direction
Going into the season, most supporters were hoping for Champions League qualification, if not necessarily expecting it.
Based on what we’ve seen from Maresca’s team, though, top 4 now looks like a dead cert. In terms of a title charge, only time will tell.
Find out who is in Chelsea’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here