Chelsea beat lacklustre Liverpool to boost Champions League hopes

Liverpool suffered defeat in their first game since being crowned Premier League champions as Cole Palmer ended his Chelsea scoring drought to round off a 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge and boost the Blues’ Champions League ambitions.

Enzo Fernandez’s early goal set the tone for Enzo Maresca’s side largely to dominate, turning in one of their best displays of the season at just the right moment in the race for the top five, though there was little complaining to be heard from a triumphant away support gathered in the Shed End.

Not even when Jarell Quansah scored a bizarre own-goal in the second half did their title celebrations quieten.

Virgil van Dijk compensated for his role in the debacle with a header from Alexis Mac Allister’s corner late on, then the roof came off the stadium as Palmer ended his four-month fallow spell, dispatching a penalty in stoppage time after Quansah fouled Moises Caicedo.

Victory pulls Chelsea level on points with fourth-placed Newcastle and moves them three clear of Nottingham Forest in sixth.

Arne Slot made six changes to the team that thrashed Tottenham to seal the title last weekend, handing Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott their first league starts while there was just a third start in defence for Quansah.

Maresca began with the same side that beat Everton a week ago and they caught Liverpool out with a goal inside three minutes.

The move began in midfield with Romeo Lavia, starting back to back league games for the first time since November, sweeping a perfect pass to the excellent Palmer who in turn played in Pedro Neto to tear down the right.

He cut it back towards Palmer who, having continued his run, was attended in the centre by Kostas Tsimikas. Nobody though had gone with Fernandez who was unmarked as he took a touch and steered it from 10 yards past Alisson.

Liverpool appeared overawed in the opening minutes as Chelsea barrelled through holes in their midfield. They were fortunate to avoid going further behind to Noni Madueke, who squeezed a shot inches wide after a pacy attack then again when Nicolas Jackson scooped a looping cross up onto the crossbar.

Chelsea had been rampant and after 56 minutes they deservedly doubled their lead.

It began with a slip by Curtis Jones costing Liverpool possession. Palmer took over, standing up Tsimikas before racing round the outside and pulling the ball back towards Madueke who, arriving at speed, was prevented by Endo from forcing it home.

Instead, Liverpool did it for him, Van Dijk whacking the ball against Quansah who watched helplessly as it rebounded into the net.

Darwin Nunez came off the bench and headed hopelessly wide when unmarked six yards out as a badly-blunted Liverpool struggled for answers.

Jadon Sancho was then denied by a smothering low stop from Alisson after a fine Chelsea move, before Palmer came within inches of a remarkable individual goal when he slalomed through Liverpool and hit the inside of the post from almost on the byline.

Van Dijk set nerves jangling when he headed in from a corner with six minutes to play but Chelsea and Palmer had the last word from the penalty spot, bringing to an end months of frustration.

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