Liverpool’s players returned to training on Wednesday as attention turned to this weekend’s Premier League clash with Chelsea.
The Reds’ players were handed a couple of well-deserved days off on Monday and Tuesday after wrapping up the title with a 5-1 victory over Tottenham on Sunday, but there are still four games to navigate before Arne Slot and his players can allow themselves to fully relax.
Liverpool travels to Stamford Bridge on Sunday before welcoming Arsenal to Anfield a week later, and then rounding the campaign off with games away to Crystal Palace and at home to Brighton.
The players were greeted by balloons in the shape of the Premier League trophy, while the entrance to the AXA Training Center also received a makeover, with the words ‘PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS’ stencilled onto the huge glass windows.
Liverpool’s Champions Wall also received an upgrade, with the number 19 being replaced by a nice, round 20 in the league titles column.
Unsurprisingly, the players were in good spirits as they laughed and shared jokes together ahead of getting back down to business on the training field.
(Image: Liverpool FC)
Virgil van Dijk was among the Liverpool players who had a huge smile on his face, and speaking after Liverpool’s title success was confirmed on Sunday, he said head coach Arne Slot deserved huge credit for achieving such great success during his first season in charge.
Asked whether he could have predicted that the 2024-25 season would end this way after former boss Jurgen Klopp announced his planned departure in January 2024, Van Dijk responded: “Well, around that time we were still challenging as well for the title.
(Image: Liverpool FC)
“I had a lot of confidence in my team; we came short last year, that was pretty obvious. We were not good enough towards the end, we couldn’t find the consistency that we had been doing before that.
“But listen, to replace Jurgen is a big job and I think the manager did it in his own way together with his staff. He definitely deserves a lot of credit for that. I don’t think anyone – as has been said by so many from the outside world – would have thought we were going to be Premier League champions. But that’s football as well.
(Image: Liverpool FC)
“We have to perform as players and that’s what we try to do. Try to be consistent, try to win games, find ways to win games – and that’s what we have done.”
He added: “When the moment is there that I can lift the trophy in front of our beautiful supporters [after the Crystal Palace game on May 25], I think I will be very emotional.”
