Chelsea will try to move closer to UEFA Champions League qualification on Sunday when they host Liverpool, who are coming off the high of winning the league title in front of their fans.
Chelsea (17-8-9, 60 points) is fifth in the race for five UCL spots next season, ahead of Nottingham Forest on goal difference but trailing third-place Newcastle by only two points.
And, after losing 2-1 at Anfield last October, there is some speculation that Liverpool’s visit, coming after the team’s 5-1 home win over Tottenham last weekend to clinch its 20th English league title, could be beneficial.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca strongly disagrees.
“It’s always nice to play in this kind of game, but I don’t think they will be any different or relaxed because they have already won the title,” Maresca told the crowd. “They are an excellent team that deserved to win the Premier League this season. The gap is clearly visible. My feeling is that we are on the right track, and that this gap will be smaller and closer next season.
The Blues are also coming off a short turnaround after a 4-1 victory over Djurgarden in Sweden on Thursday night in UEFA Europa Conference Leg 1.
Maresca made several substitutions, including saving Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson for the second half. The duo then combined for Chelsea’s final two goals.
Meanwhile, Liverpool (25-2-7, 82 points) had a full week to reflect on their achievements now that they are no longer competing in domestic or continental cup competitions.
There are still small goals to strive for, such as assisting Mo Salah — who currently has 28 league goals — in matching his career high of 32 set in his first Liverpool season. In the Premier League scoring title race, the Egyptian leads Newcastle’s Alexander Isak by six goals.
It has also been a week of reflection for Arne Slot and his team. And for the Dutchman, that includes a sense of wonder about how far his team has come since their first meeting with Chelsea, when the title race was wide open.
“We played them earlier on in the season, and I’m completely surprised — not shocked, but surprised — if I look at the gap we have with them at the moment, because at that moment in time they were the better team on the pitch,” Slot told reporters.
“In the game, we had to suffer more than any other game maybe,” he said afterwards. “So to be so many points ahead of them is a big compliment for everyone here at this club.”
