Chelsea produced an excellent team performance to beat Liverpool in their last match, and some details have emerged that make the result even more impressive.
Chelsea beat Liverpool 3-1 on Sunday to collect three points at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues currently sit fifth in the Premier League table going into their final three matches. Most importantly, their fate is still in their own hands as they bid to secure Champions League qualification, which goes to the top five positions.
Enzo Maresca’s side made it four consecutive wins across all competitions by overcoming Liverpool at the weekend. It’s worth highlighting that the Merseyside club made several changes to their side because they’ve already gained enough points to clinch the division title, but it was only their third league defeat of the season.
Arne Slot is surprised Liverpool are 19 points above Chelsea this season because he massively rates them.
Chelsea squad had very late night in the build-up to Liverpool win
Even though Chelsea delivered one of their best performances of the season to beat Liverpool, a shocking detail has emerged about their preparation for the Premier League fixture.
The Blues played on Thursday night in Stockholm, winning 4-1 against Swedish club Djurgarden in the first leg of a Conference League semi-final tie.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea’s players didn’t get to bed until 5am on Friday because of the time it took for standard doping tests and the travel home.
The report explains that Maresca only actually had one intense 90-minute training session on the Saturday to prepare for the Liverpool match.
| Played against both Liverpool and Djurgarden |
| Reece James |
| Marc Cucurella |
| Trevoh Chalobah |
| Moises Caicedo |
| Enzo Fernandez |
| Cole Palmer |
| Jadon Sancho |
| Noni Madueke |
| Nicolas Jackson |
When you factor in such a short turnaround and lack of preparation for the Liverpool match, it’s a pretty extraordinary display from Chelsea. It was certainly a much-needed result as they focus in on Champions League qualification, too.
Thankfully, Chelsea’s second leg versus Djurdgarden takes place at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night before a league trip to Newcastle on Saturday lunchtime.
Prior to the Liverpool result, Glenn Hoddle predicted Chelsea wouldn’t get Champions League football because of their difficult remaining fixtures. However, it does feel like a real shift in momentum after overcoming champions Liverpool.
Chelsea’s home form deserves special mention
Chelsea’s recent win over Liverpool was a reminder that they’re usually pretty strong at home.
| Games played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals scored | Goals conceded | Points | Points per game |
| 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 34 | 18 | 38 | 2.11 |
As you can see above, Chelsea have only lost two league games at home this season.
The Blues were beaten 2-0 by Manchester City in their opening fixture and lost 2-1 on Boxing Day against rivals Fulham. Apart from that, the team’s home form has been a huge plus point.
Even though Joe Cole criticised the Stamford Bridge atmosphere right now, it’s encouraging to see results are usually still decent at home.
In the Blues’ final league match at home on 16 May, they welcome Manchester United.
