Chelsea strengthened their push for Champions League qualification with a 3-1 victory over newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring in the third minute after Pedro Neto’s pinpoint cross found him unmarked in the box. Chelsea remained in control and doubled their lead in the second half when a clearance by Virgil van Dijk rebounded off teammate Jarell Quansah for an own goal.
Van Dijk pulled one back with a powerful header in the 85th minute, but Cole Palmer sealed the win with a stoppage-time penalty after Quansah fouled Moises Caicedo.
Liverpool, who had already clinched their 20th English title with a 5-1 win over Tottenham last weekend, appeared sluggish and rotated several key players, including Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Despite a pre-match guard of honour from Chelsea—met with boos from home fans—the Reds offered little resistance, suffering only their third league defeat of the season.
Chelsea, now level on points with fourth-placed Newcastle and one point behind third-placed Manchester City, remain in the hunt for a top-five finish. They next face Djurgardens in the UEFA Conference League semi-final on Thursday, holding a 4-1 aggregate lead.
AFP
