Chelsea significantly boosted their chances of qualifying for the Champions League with a 3-1 victory over a lacklustre Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring early for Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side. A second-half own goal by Jarell Quansah extended Chelsea’s lead before Virgil van Dijk pulled one back for Liverpool late in the game.
However, Cole Palmer’s stoppage-time penalty secured the win for Chelsea.
While newly crowned champions Liverpool, who celebrated their 20th league title last weekend, appeared to be suffering a title hangover, Chelsea had strong motivation to secure the three points in their pursuit of a top-five finish.
Chelsea now sit fifth in the Premier League, level on points with fourth-placed Newcastle. With three games remaining, the race for the Champions League spots is tightly contested.
Liverpool, who had only lost two league games prior to this, looked out of sorts, and Chelsea capitalized.
Despite a guard of honour from Chelsea for the champions before the match, the home side took an early lead and maintained their dominance for much of the game.
Goals from Fernandez, a Quansah own goal, and Palmer’s late penalty sealed a crucial win for Chelsea. Van Dijk’s late header proved to be just a consolation for Liverpool.
The result marks Chelsea’s first win against Liverpool in 11 attempts and significantly strengthens their bid for Champions League qualification.
Liverpool, having already secured the title, will now focus on their remaining games, while Chelsea will look to continue their strong form in the final stretch of the season.
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