Chelsea boosted their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League with a 3-1 victory over champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Fernandez struck after just three minutes before Jarrell Quansah’s second-half own goal doubled Chelsea’s lead. Virgil van Dijk’s late header pulled a goal back but Cole Palmer had the final say, ending a four-month goal drought when netting a 96th-minute penalty.
Chelsea remain fifth but now have a three-point cushion over sixth-place Nottingham Forest, who play Crystal Palace on Monday.
The Blues opened the scoring after just three minutes. Palmer led a swift counter before finding Pedro Neto, whose low cross was neatly controlled and finished by Fernandez.
Liverpool looked to respond with Cody Gakpo calling Robert Sanchez into action from a tight angle, while Neto hit the side-netting at the other end.
Chelsea thought they had doubled their lead just before half-time when Noni Madueke rounded Alisson and slotted home. However, the joy was short-lived with Nicolas Jackson penalised for offside during the build-up.
The hosts did get their second goal in fortuitous circumstances 11 minutes after the restart, as Van Dijk’s attempted clearance from a Palmer cross ricocheted off Quansah and back into the net.
Palmer struck the post from a tight angle, before Liverpool’s later pressure at the other end eventually culminated in Van Dijk powering home from Alexis Mac Allister’s corner.
Although their hopes of averting only their third league defeat of the season deep into stoppage time, when Palmer slotted home from the spot after Quansah felled Moises Caicedo.
