"It is good to see that no-one is scared of Chelsea now and teams have learned to play against them and we are all working on ways to beat them," said the Liverpool boss.
"Manchester United have proved this season that if you are very positive in the way you play then you can get very close to Chelsea.
"Chelsea and United are much closer than they were last season and, next season, I think that Liverpool and Arsenal will also make it much more interesting. Then there are teams like Tottenham and Blackburn who are developing.
"United are closest at the moment. The difference is now down to the results of one or two matches. It is good enough for Chelsea now, but it is not a gap that cannot be closed.
"Clubs and players no longer fear Chelsea. They know that they can be beaten now. We are seeing that and it is only the start. Every year it will become more and more difficult for them."