Stamford Bridge, London — May 2, 2025
Chelsea bolstered their Champions League qualification hopes with an impressive 3-1 victory over newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool on Friday evening.
The visitors, managed by Arne Slot, were handed a guard of honour by Chelsea before kick-off in recognition of their title triumph last weekend. However, the Reds’ celebratory mood quickly faded as they were outplayed by a Chelsea side with everything still to fight for.
Enzo Fernández opened the scoring for the hosts inside the opening five minutes, capitalising on a slip from Curtis Jones and finishing off a swift counterattack led by Pedro Neto. A second came before half-time when a mix-up in Liverpool’s defence led to Jarell Quansah inadvertently turning the ball into his own net.
Despite making six changes to his regular starting lineup, Slot’s side briefly threatened a comeback when captain Virgil van Dijk rose highest to head home from a corner in the second half.
But any hopes of a Liverpool revival were short-lived. A misplaced pass from Dominik Szoboszlai allowed Moises Caicedo to intercept and drive forward, drawing a foul from Quansah inside the box. Cole Palmer stepped up and calmly converted the penalty, ending a 12-game goal drought and restoring Chelsea’s two-goal cushion.
Palmer also struck the post earlier in the game after a dazzling solo run, underlining his importance in Chelsea’s attacking play. The win lifts the Blues closer to a coveted top-four finish, while Liverpool’s rotated side struggled to find rhythm throughout.
Chelsea will now look to build on this momentum in their final fixtures, while Liverpool’s focus shifts to finishing the season strong after their title celebrations.
