Arne Slot and his Liverpool players might have been like, “What’s going on here?” when they finished up at Stamford Bridge. They lost 3-1 to Chelsea, who are gunning for a spot in the Champions League. The Reds thought they’d see some sad faces when they headed over to their fans, but instead, they found a bunch of supporters going nuts with red smoke, balloons that said “champions,” and colorful banners. The message was clear: Liverpool is on their way to winning the Premier League title, and nothing’s going to rain on their parade.
When the season wrap-up DVD comes out, this game might not even get a mention. It was just a blip for Liverpool, who already sealed the deal on their 20th league title. They didn’t need to worry about extending their lead over Arsenal, who were far behind anyway. But some of the squad players didn’t really step up in this game. They had a chance to show what they’re made of, but it didn’t quite work out.
The game started slow for Liverpool, and they quickly fell behind to Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez. Cody Gakpo had a good shot saved, but the Reds couldn’t make much happen up front. Slot made six changes to the team, hoping for a spark, but it just didn’t happen. Elliott, Jota, and Salah couldn’t make a big impact, and Jota especially looked off his game.
Chelsea got a lucky break with an own goal from Quansah, and Liverpool struggled to find their rhythm. Some subs came on, but it wasn’t enough to turn things around. The Londoners had several chances to bury the game, but Liverpool still tried to fight back. In the end, a penalty sealed the deal for Chelsea, and the fans celebrated like they’d won the league themselves.
For Liverpool, this game wasn’t a big deal, but for the fringe players, it was a missed opportunity. The damage wasn’t too bad, but it was a chance they let slip away. Maybe next time, they’ll make the most of their shot on the big stage.
