Enzo Maresca's Liverpool title verdict speaks volumes as Chelsea boss agrees with Arne Slot

If Enzo Maresca is to be taken at face value then the other Premier League title contenders should give up now and Liverpool should be crowned as champions.

Speaking on Monday after Chelsea went three games without a win across all competition, Maresca gave a gloomy proclamation. “If they continue in this way I think it is impossible to catch them, not just for us, but for all the clubs,” the Chelsea boss said.

“They have been doing a fantastic job since last year, and the players they have decided to buy shows the intention of the club to go again for the Premier League and the Champions League and that is quite clear.”

Liverpool have won all of their games this season and already sit five points clear at the top of the Premier League table. After relying on a glut of late goals, they won in less dramatic fashion on the weekend, beating Everton 2-1 in the Merseyside Derby.

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Their position was solidified when Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester City on Sunday. The Gunners have finished as the runners-up in the Premier League for three straight seasons and spent big in the summer transfer window to try and bridge the gap.

Mikel Arteta's side have now lost 1-0 to Liverpool and drawn with previous perennial champions City, hinting that Liverpool could still be operating on a different level at the summit of the league. Pep Guardiola took the unusual step of parking the bus at the Emirates Stadium, perhaps suggesting he doesn’t believe his side are up to it this season.

Chelsea enjoyed a great summer, winning the Conference League and Club World Cup, but their last Premier League title came in 2017. Maresca was clear last season that Chelsea were some way off challenging for the title and was ultimately proven right as they finished fourth.

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The Chelsea manager’s assessment of Liverpool actually matches up with the words of Arne Slot, who described Liverpool’s summer transfer window, in which they recruited Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni, as “great business”.

“There is so much focus on our new signings, especially from pundits that favour some other clubs in the country that cannot stop talking about £450m,” Slot said last week. “I repeat, £450m, £450m! But they forget about the £300m that we have sold. So, yes, if we want to strengthen the squad we need to spend that much money.”

Liverpool did indeed sell Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Caoimhin Kelleher, Jarell Quansah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben Doak, Tyler Morton and Nat Phillips to balance the books. It is early days, but it seems Liverpool have managed to overhaul their squad and stay on track for consecutive titles.

Jamie Carragher may believe that it is Arsenal and not Liverpool who have the strongest squad, but Maresca’s comments suggest the prevailing feeling is that the Reds may be about to ascend to the status City previously had during their juggernaut years under Guardiola.

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