Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, has made a bold prediction about the Premier League standings this season. In his recent post-match press conference, he expressed his belief that Chelsea is set to finish in the top four. This comes after an impressive performance by Enzo Maresca’s side over the weekend.
Arne Slot, Liverpool manager, said:
“I also saw how difficult it was, how difficult Chelsea made [it] for us. So, in my opinion, if I would be sitting as the Chelsea manager I would say, if we can play like this at Anfield, we are also one of the teams that can compete for [a] top-four position.”
Despite only having 43% of possession - their lowest percentage in any game this campaign - Liverpool managed to secure a 2-1 win against Chelsea. According to Opta’s expected goal figures, this victory was well-deserved regardless of the possession stats. The Reds racked up an impressive 1.94 xG compared to Chelsea’s 0.99.
Slot praised Curtis Jones for defusing Cole Palmer
Curtis Jones was awarded Player of the Match following his winning penalty and scoring the decisive goal that secured Liverpool's victory over Chelsea. However, Slot was quick to highlight another aspect of Jones' performance that pleased him even more - how effectively he marked Cole Palmer out of the game.
Arne Slot added:
“I think what we all made of this today. He had a very good game. He had a difficult job to control Cole Palmer, which is an incredible player, in my opinion.”
“It’s so difficult to defend him because he has so many qualities. Curtis did that really well today. In my opinion, he controlled him for most parts of the game; it’s almost impossible to control a player like this for 90 minutes, but he was quite close to that.”
Upcoming challenges for the Reds
The road ahead for Liverpool is filled with challenges as they have a series of tough games on their schedule. Their first hurdle is the upcoming match against RB Leipzig in Germany on Wednesday night. This midweek UEFA Champions League fixture will test the team's resilience and adaptability, especially given the away setting. Following this, Liverpool will face another significant challenge over the weekend when they travel to Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal.
Despite being without their key player William Saliba - who was sent off during their recent 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth - Arsenal still promises to pose an even sterner test than Chelsea did. The upcoming matches are sure to put Liverpool's skills and strategies under intense scrutiny as they navigate these challenging fixtures.
Arne Slot's prediction about Chelsea finishing in top four in Premier League standings reflects his admiration for their recent performance while also highlighting his confidence in his own team despite upcoming challenging fixtures. His praise for Curtis Jones' role beyond just scoring goals underlines how every player contributes towards a team's success. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how these predictions and assessments play out on the field.
