‘Next season begins tonight’

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk (right) and Mohamed Salah are put through the paces during a training session recently. Pic/Getty Images

Arne Slot said on Friday that winning the Premier League title with Liverpool at Anfield was one of the best days of his life, as he turned his thoughts towards next season. The Reds crushed Tottenham 5-1 on Sunday to seal a record-breaking 20th English league title with four games to spare, basking in a sensational atmosphere at their packed home ground.

"Maybe for all the Liverpool fans [it was] one of the best days of their lives, and I think it was the same for me," said Slot. "Scoring the goals, seeing how much it meant to the players but also to the fans, for me, was really special to be part of," he added.

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Liverpool travel to face fifth-placed Chelsea on Sunday before taking on Arsenal, Brighton and Crystal Palace in their remaining games. "It's nice that we play some very strong teams like Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton and Palace, so that gives us an immediate challenge. It's the end of the season, but we also have to look at this as the start of next season already," said Slot.

The Dutchman said he was surprised by the 22-point between his side and Enzo Maresca's Chelsea, whom he felt were the better team when they met in October, even though Liverpool won 2-1. "We found a way to win, but in that game we had to suffer more than any other game. So to be so many points ahead of them is a big compliment for everyone here at this club," the Reds manager added.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have it all to play for, as finishing in the top five would secure a Champions League spot for next season. Enzo Maresca's inconsistent team have hit a purple patch recently, winning the five of their last eight league games. They come into this fixture with one foot in the Conference League final having dispatched Norwegian side Djurgarden 4-1. "My feeling is that we are in the right direction and hopefully this gap [between Chelsea and Liverpool] can be closed," said an optimistic Maresca.

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