ReactionArne Slot press conference: Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool

The Reds were beaten at Stamford Bridge in their first outing since being crowned Premier League champions.

An Enzo Fernandez strike, an own goal from Jarell Quansah and a converted penalty by Cole Palmer gave the Blues victory, with Virgil van Dijk's header late on ultimately futile.

• Read our match report from Stamford Bridge

Read the head coach's assessment of the game in his post-match press conference below...

On the match and Liverpool's performance...

Nothing good comes from losing a game of football, but if I have to take the positives there were definitely a few positives. Dominating ball possession at Stamford Bridge is not what many teams do over here because Chelsea are so comfortable with the ball as well. Being 2-0 down, don't give up, try to fight ourselves back into the game - and that's what we did. We already had two big chances which we didn't score and then Chelsea were on the counter-attack a few times [and] very threatening.

Then when we scored for 2-1 I was like, 'Let's see if there's something in it…' but I don't think there was a moment where we were close to scoring a goal. In the end, a correct penalty being given and Chelsea won it 3-1. Maybe [it was] the opposite from the home game where they dominated possession and we won. Now it was the opposite.

On whether Dominik Szoboszlai's pressing ability was missed...

It is never about one player. One of the qualities Dom definitely has is the intensity he presses with. You can come up with all the tactics in the world, but it is always the intensity of the press that makes the difference. It doesn't matter what I come up with, but if we are intense it is so difficult to play through us. One of the qualities Dominik has is definitely the pressing part and that's why he played so much this season as well.

On why he waited to bring on Federico Chiesa...

Because I decided to bring other players in first, because I already brought Darwin [Nunez] in so that wasn't a position I could bring him in. Then Cody Gakpo, I liked him a lot today, he played a really good game and I've changed him and took him out in the last few weeks many times already. Mo [Salah] is always a player that can score a goal, so that's why I first made different substitutions. In the end, I would almost say what people expect from me over here is we take an extra risk, so get a defender out, bring Federico in. That also led to us scoring the goal, but not enough time left for him to make the difference, unfortunately.

On whether already being champions and rotating his team affected the performance...

That, we will never know, but I think what we also saw today were a lot of things that we've seen throughout the whole season. Us playing through the high press of the opponent so many times and so many moments that we arrived in the final third. But I also saw us defending today, not that I am used to it always, so the last percentages were not of a normal standard. In the final third we come there so many times and normally we are able to create more chances.

That could mean two things. Either Chelsea did well in both boxes, which they did, but I think it tells us also a little bit about us. In general, [it was] a good performance, but the final percentages weren't there to win this game of football. [In] the lead-up to both goals a player of ours slipped. Would it have happened as well if the game was on the line? Yes or no, we will never know - but the margins are small in the Premier League, especially if you play a team like Chelsea with so many quality players, then you cannot afford these kind of moments.

On the booing from Chelsea supporters during the guard of honour...

I didn't hear it, to be honest. I only heard our fans during almost the whole game. I just heard that they couldn't come here on trains, so they had to go by car. But they were on time and they were loud throughout the whole game. I haven't heard anyone booing - I only heard our fans singing.

On what he and his squad have learned over the season to take forward to next year...

That the margins are small. That has been throughout the whole season in the games we've won and today again as well. You slip twice and you concede two goals. Paris Saint-Germain, an incredible game, maybe the best game of our season at home where we dominated the second half. We were just waiting for us to score a goal, which we didn't, then because players got tired I had to make quite a lot of substitutions.

We were lucky to end up taking the penalties and, talking about small margins, losing the penalty shootout, they are now in the semi-final and we are out. Yes, we all have quality players. Chelsea have them, [Manchester] City have them, Arsenal have them, [Aston] Villa have them... we have them as well. But the margins are small and that's why you have to work so hard every three days to get so many points onboard. That's what we did this season and if we want to have any chance of competing next season then that's the minimum we need again.

On whether Chelsea will provide a threat next season...

I expected them to be a threat this season because at Anfield they were better than us. They were so close to us. It was a complete surprise to me that we are now 19 points clear of them or something like that. I didn't feel that at all when we played them. That tells you how well we did, probably, if a team like this with so much quality, and also not only in the first XI, but in the complete squad, that we are able to be 19 points ahead of them is a big compliment for our players.