Slot ‘surprised’ Chelsea did not challenge for the Premier League title this season | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted that it is a ‘complete surprise’ that his team is so far ahead of Chelsea in the league.

Liverpool received a guard of honour at Stamford Bridge, after they secured the Premier League title last Sunday with four games to spare.

However, it was the hosts that ran out victors this afternoon. Chelsea won the match 3-1, earning valuable points in the hotly-contested race for Champions League qualification.

Following the match, Slot declared: “Nothing good comes from losing a game of football but there were definitely a few positives.

“Dominating possession at Stamford Bridge is a not a thing that many teams do because Chelsea are so comfortable with the ball.”

The Dutch coach confessed: “It was maybe the opposite from the home game where they dominated possession and we won.

“Chelsea did well in both boxes but it also tells us a little bit about us. In general it was a good performance but the final percentages were not there to win this game of football.”

Liverpool’s boss continued: “The margins are small in the Premier League, especially if you play a team like Chelsea with so many quality players.

“We all have quality players- Chelsea have them, City have them, Arsenal have them, Villa have them. And we have them as well but the margins are small.”

Slot sang the praises of his opposition. Asked if they will be a threat for the Premier League title next season, the Dutchman admitted: “I expected Chelsea to be a threat this season.

“At Anfield they were better than us, they were so close to us, so it is a complete surprise to me that we are now 18 points clear of them.

“That tells you how well we did. A team like this with so much quality and we are able to be 18 points ahead of them. It is a big compliment to our players.”