**
Liverpool endured a challenging afternoon at Stamford Bridge, succumbing to a 3-1 defeat against Chelsea in their first match since clinching the Premier League title. The Reds, who made several changes to their lineup, found themselves trailing early on as Enzo Fernandez netted the opener just three minutes into the game. A Jarell Quansah own goal in the second half further extended Chelsea’s lead. Although Virgil van Dijk managed to pull one back for Liverpool with five minutes remaining, Cole Palmer’s penalty deep into injury time sealed the victory for the home side.
Arne Slot said: “So that could mean two things: either Chelsea did well in both boxes, which they did, but I think it tells us also a little bit about us. In general, a good performance, but the final percentages weren’t there to win. The lead up to their (first two) goals, a player of ours slipped. Would that have happened if the game was on the line? We will never know, but the margins are small in the Premier League especially if you play a team like Chelsea with so many quality players. You cannot afford these kind of moments.”
Slot added: “Being 2-0 down, don’t give up, trying to get back into the game, that’s what we did. We had two big chances we didn’t score then Chelsea were on the counter-attack a few times very threatening. When we scored at 2-1 you were like, ‘hmm, let’s see if there’s something in it’, but we didn’t really have a moment where we were close to scoring a goal and then, in the end, a correct penalty being given and Chelsea won 3-1.”
Despite having 65% possession, Liverpool struggled to make their dominance count, managing only two shots on target throughout the match. Slot’s decision to make six changes from the team that defeated Tottenham Hotspur the previous weekend, including giving Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott their first Premier League starts of the season, did not yield the desired outcome. The Reds’ inability to capitalize on their chances, coupled with defensive lapses, ultimately cost them the match against a clinical Chelsea side.
The defeat underscores the competitive nature of the Premier League, where even the smallest margins can have significant consequences, especially against teams with high-caliber players like Chelsea. Liverpool will look to bounce back and address these issues as they continue their campaign.
