Chelsea bolstered their chances of securing a Champions League spot with a hard-fought 3-1 win over newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool, already confirmed champions, made six changes to their starting lineup—a move that saw their usual sharpness fade. Despite receiving a guard of honour before kickoff, they were outclassed early on by an ambitious Chelsea side.
Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring just three minutes in, finishing a Pedro Neto cross with precision. Chelsea doubled their lead in the second half when a defensive mishap saw Virgil van Dijk’s clearance ricochet off teammate Jarell Quansah into the net.
Although Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah had chances to claw back, poor finishing let them down. Van Dijk eventually scored with a late header, but any hope of a comeback was quashed when Cole Palmer converted a penalty in stoppage time after Quansah fouled Moises Caicedo.
Chelsea now sit level on points with Newcastle United, trailing only on goals scored as they prepare for a decisive clash next weekend.
