Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool: Enzo and Cole Palmer score to help Blues boost UCL hopes

Chelsea boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League with a 3-1 victory over champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. 

Match Report

Superb Cole Palmer ends lengthy goal drought with late penalty as Blues spoil the champions' title party after fans boo guard of honour.

Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer were on target as Enzo Maresca's side consolidated their place in the Premier League's top five. 

Fernandez struck after just three minutes, controlling Pedro Neto's low cross before slotting past Alisson.

The Blues doubled their lead in fortuitous fashion in the 58th minute, when Virgil van Dijk's attempted clearance ricocheted off Jarrell Quansah and into his own net.

Van Dijk gave the Reds hope five minutes from time when he powered home a header from Alexis Mac Allister's corner.

However, Chelsea put the contest to bed with virtually the last kick of the game, as Cole Palmer slotted home from the penalty spot after Quansah felled Moises Caicedo.

Data Debrief: Reds slip up as Palmer ends drought

Liverpool are only the fourth team to lose their first league game after they were crowned Premier League champions after Arsenal in 1997-98 (against Liverpool), Chelsea in 2005-06 (against Blackburn) and the Reds themselves in 2019-20 (against Manchester City).

They came unstuck against an inspired Chelsea, who have now won seven of their last eight league games at Stamford Bridge.

Fernandez got the ball rolling after just two minutes and 47 seconds with the Blues' earliest league goal on home soil since Antonio Rudiger netted 14 seconds earlier against Stoke City in December 2017.

Van Dijk gave Liverpool hope with his 13th headed goal from a corner in the Premier League; a tally only bettered by John Terry (19) and Dion Dublin (14).

However, Palmer had the final word as he rounded off an impressive display, during which he registered the most shots (five), most chances created (four), joint-most passes into the final third (13) and joint-most touches in the opposing box (eight) of any Chelsea player.

After 1,162 minutes, the England international finally found the net in the Premier League once more, as he calmly beat Alisson from 12 yards.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

1' Salah's crossing saved!

3' Terrible start for champions,a great Chelsea goal! Chelsea 1-0 Liverpool (Enzo)

6' Noni Madueke has a chance to make it 2-0. Big let-off for Liverpool

9' Gakpo tests Sanchez from an angle as Alisson breathes a big sigh of relief

10' The Liverpool goalkeeper cleaned out Jackson but the Chelsea forward was offside

13' Gakpo cross to the back post just evades Mohamed Salah

15' The Liverpool midfield is basically Endo at the moment

21' Alisson picking up the ball in some dangerous positions

24' Arnold may have been offside but a better touch from Mohamed Salah there

26' This time it's Wataru Endo's poor touch that stops a promising Liverpool attack

32' Moises Caicedo's chipped cross clips the crossbar before going out of play

33' Palmer loses that chance!

42' Pedro Neto, just like he was for the goal, he fires a shot into the side-netting

43' Chelsea have the ball in the net. But the flag is up for offside

48' Endo stops Jackson from getting a toe-poke at goal

51' Yellow Card! Van Dijk booked

54' Yellow Card! Trevoh Chalobah booked

56' The ball hits Quansah and flies into net for an own goal! Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool

58' Yellow Card! Quansah booked

64' Big tackle from Jones on Cole Palmer, who has been the game's outstanding player

66' Gakpo's crossing stopped by Colwill

67' Darwin Nunez has just missed a good chance from another sub

69' Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are coming on for Liverpool

71' Substitution for Chelsea

77' Mohamad Salah floats a header just wide from a Kostas Tsimikas cross

80' Big save from Alisson Becker denies Chelsea  third goal through Jadon Sancho

81' Cole Palmer hits the post after an incredible piece of skill

83' Federico Chiesa is on for Liverpool

85' Van Dijk heads in from a corner!! Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool

85' Palmer tests Alisson Becker after Virgil halved the deficit by heading home

87' Neto's shot over the bar

94' Penalty Goal! Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool

Line-ups

Chelsea XI: Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah, Robert Sánchez, Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Madueke, Enzo, Caicedo, Colwill, Lavia, Nicolas Jackson

Subs: Adarabioyo, Sancho, Reece James, Dewsbury-Hall, Badiashile, Jørgensen, Gusto, Josh Acheampong, Tyrique George

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Endo, Salah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Jota, Alexander-Arnold, Gakpo, Curtis Jones, Elliott, Quansah

Subs: Robertson, Kelleher, Konate, Chiesa, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Luis Díaz, Nunez, Conor Bradley