Liverpool’s eighth and biggest defeat of the season also tightened Chelsea’s grip on that precious fifth Champions League spot and if we glimpsed anything here it was perhaps the growing ability of Enzo Maresca’s side to ride out the tough periods and make their moments of supremacy matter A very early goal by Enzo Fernández set the tone; a deeply comical own goal by Jarell Quansah doubled their lead and Cole Palmer’s penalty with almost the final kick made the points safe Liverpool had 65% possession and beyond Virgil van Dijk’s valedictory late header it’s hard to recall a single thing they did with it Arne Slot rotated heavily and in the process reminded us why he doesn’t rotate more often It is rare for a champion team to be met with the resounding consensus that it needs to be broken up and rebuilt as soon as possible as Liverpool’s second-string midfield returned Chelsea’s guard of honour with one of their own There is of course partial mitigation to be found in the weird post-title vibes stacked in the wrong place and faintly flecked with steak sauce All season Liverpool have been laser-locked on this one singular objective so what happens when you suddenly take it away Enzo Fernández (far right) gives Chelsea the lead precision has long been one of Chelsea’s main issues the wasted chances and wasted potential reflecting those wasted millions off the pitch And if there is at least a shape and a solidity to them now two hard-working banks of four off the ball then what Maresca has given in backbone he has taken in flair and fun The upshot is that it only really takes a moment for the entire mood of the stadium to turn Nobody ever really seems to be having a good time The body language on the pitch is still awful Neto needlessly headed the ball out for a corner and the crowd pretty much screeched in frustration The good news for Chelsea was that Liverpool were more than happy to do the job for them having long since given up on Neto outside him simply dribbled past his team-mate on the right wing and squared it for Madueke Wataru Endo made the initial tackle but Van Dijk’s rushed clearance smacked Quansah on the thigh and rebounded in: truly Free daily newsletterKick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football The last half hour passed in something of a blur Darwin Núñez and Mohamed Salah both missed simple headers to cut the deficit; Palmer and Jadon Sancho could easily have added a third goal and even if Van Dijk’s late header from Alexis Mac Allister’s corner summoned up a little basic species pride finally released from his right-back prison by the arrival of Reece James one of the three right-backs on the Chelsea bench Quansah wearily lunged in and brought him down Palmer’s penalty seemed unduly freighted with tension But he slotted the ball home safely enough to end an 18-match scoring drought a welcome hit of confidence ahead of big tests at home and in Europe These last four games – and we can safely write off the second leg against Djurgarden – will define Maresca’s first season at Chelsea a season that has seen genuine changes to the style and organisation of play And even if this is still a team prone to bizarre fits and outbursts even if much of the Stamford Bridge crowd remains largely unsold on it Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Arsenal and Liverpool have both held talks over signing a big-money Chelsea star who two sources have confirmed will leave the club this summer Chelsea don’t lack for options in the attacking ranks at present and an inevitable consequence of having so many quality options to choose between is a major-name star or two are barely featuring Christopher Nkunku – a £52m signing from RB Leipzig in 2023 – is chief among those whose minutes are well below expectations The Frenchman has racked up just 910 minutes of action in the Premier League this season and has grown frustrated at his lack of opportunities The 27-year-old was a player of interest to Bayern Munich and Manchester United in January with Chelsea favouring a permanent exit and interested clubs only serving up loan opportunities fast forward to the present day and Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has insisted Nkunku’s time at Stamford Bridge is up “Christopher Nkunku has decided to leave Chelsea this summer – there’s no longer any doubt about it,” declared Plettenberg on X Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano subsequently weighed in on Nkunku’s future and echoed Plettenberg’s claims After confirming Nkunku could’ve left Chelsea in January if permanent and not loan bids were lodged, Romano said via his YouTube channel: “Now in the summer the story for Christopher Nkunku will be different in April and now in May the clear feeling of all parties involved is for Nkunku to leave Chelsea in the summer transfer window Because Nkunku is not finding the space he wants Also because in terms of skills Nkunku is not exactly the kind of player needed for Enzo Maresca’s vision and ideas “Also because Nkunku wants to play on a regular basis and at Chelsea this is not happening apart from in the Conference League but it’s about Premier League football it’s about the really crucial games that Nkunku wants to play “So there is more than a strong possibility almost a clear expectation for Christopher Nkunku to leave Chelsea in the summer window “There was some interest from Bayern in January also some interest from Man Utd but only in case of a swap deal and nothing happened “Let’s see which other clubs will approach Chelsea for Nkunku but for sure he will be one to watch.” Romano concluded by stating “my expectation is not to see Nkunku in a Chelsea shirt next season.” attention has quickly turned to where he will go and per TBR Football a move within the Premier League is possible… TBR reporter, Graeme Bailey, explained: “The player’s representatives are doing their due diligence on options – as Roy Keane would say they are ‘doing their job’ making sure all options are on the table “Nkunku has known since last summer that he could leave Chelsea and he almost departed in January but this summer he will almost certainly depart Stamford Bridge “As it stands I am told that a move to Europe is the most likely option – but his people are touching base with clubs in England “Arsenal, Liverpool Aston Villa and Tottenham have all been spoken to in the past few months “Chelsea want to recoup as much of their plus £50m outlay but that looks difficult at this juncture.” TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Fraser Fletcher, has been able to verify Arsenal’s interest in the player Fletcher has also learned Chelsea would be willing to sell Nkunku for a fee around the £40m mark Bayern Munich do remain interested in Nkunku though only if failing to sign No 1 target would only move for Nkunku if selling Harvey Elliott Nkunku favours the No 10 role currently occupied by Dominik Szoboszlai Elliott is considering his future amid a lack of opportunities under Arne Slot and if departing a new No 10 to compete with Szoboszlai could be signed Aside from Nkunku, RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons is a player of interest to the Reds, as confirmed by The Daily Mail’s Merseyside correspondent, Lewis Steele The latest on Liverpool’s proposed move for Dutch international Simons can be found below 🔴 Liverpool prep HUGE opening bid for Bundesliga game-changer as Slot eyes sublime first summer signing 🔴 Liverpool green light early Alexander-Arnold exit to Real Madrid as Hughes lands unexpected pay-day 🔴 Slot told Klopp signing is finished and Liverpool must plan for future after Chelsea mauling Blues have massive fixtures against top-five rivals Newcastle and Nottingham Forest coming up in addition to their push for Conference League glory Sport | Football featuring team news and expert analysis from Malik Ouzia I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice Chelsea could be without striker Christopher Nkunku for up to another 15 days due to injury, manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed The French forward was absent from Sunday’s massive 3-1 win over Liverpool in the Premier League that delivered a huge boost to the resurgent Blues’ chances of securing a top-five finish this term and a place back in the Champions League elite next season having remained behind in west London for treatment on what his manager described as a “small problem” But while Sanchez returned against Liverpool Nkunku remained sidelined along with the likes of Wesley Fofana and Marc Guiu plus youngsters Omari Kellyman and Aaron Anselmino and the provisionally suspended Mykhailo Mudryk Maresca previously said in Sweden that Nkunku would be assessed before facing the Premier League champions but has now confirmed that he could face another two weeks in the treatment room two weeks,” the Italian told reporters after the win over Liverpool Chelsea have real belief as Liverpool lack intensity after title party Palmer slams 'idiot' trolls as emotional interview forces swearing apology Palmer ends long goal drought as Chelsea beat champions Liverpool How Give Your Best aims to solve clothing poverty in the UK The 27-year-old will miss Thursday night’s return fixture with Djurgarden at Stamford Bridge in addition to next weekend’s crucial visit to St James’ Park to face a fourth-place Newcastle side with whom they now share an identical points tally and goal difference with only three games left to play in the fierce fight for Champions League qualification Newcastle remain above them on goals scored as things stand Chelsea also host likely Europa League finalists Manchester United in their final home fixture of the season on May 16 with a potentially pivotal trip to sixth-place Nottingham Forest coming on the last day of the campaign and a Conference League showpiece against either Real Betis or Fiorentina awaiting in Wroclaw on May 28 bar an unexpected disaster in the second leg against Djurgarden Chelsea then begin their summer Club World Cup campaign in the United States on June 18 Though typically a regular in their Conference League team who started the competition in a rich vein of form Nkunku’s future at Chelsea remains subject to much speculation during the course of a season where he has started just nine of the club’s 35 league games so far and scored only three times in the top-flight Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications from nationalities most likely to overstay New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications Rihanna shows off baby bump at star-studded Met Gala 2025 as singer's third pregnancy with A$AP Rocky announced Rihanna debuts baby bump on star-studded Met Gala blue carpet US EditionUK EditionScottish SunIrish SunSearchMy Account Chelsea have shared a moment to forget for Trent Alexander-Arnold after his Liverpool exit was officially confirmed The England international will leave Anfield at the end of the season after 21 years with the club Alexander-Arnold is set to depart once his contract expires this summer talkSPORT understands he has agreed terms on a five-year deal with Real Madrid Just hours after Alexander-Arnold announced his exit, Chelsea took to social media to share a clip from their Premier League clash The Blues claimed a 3-1 victory over the champions at Stamford Bridge on Sunday However, the winger's feint dummy saw the ball run past both players as he turned and sprinted up the touchline. Alexander-Arnold was left in Madueke's wake as he attempted to chase after his opponent. Alongside the post, Chelsea's official X account wrote: "See yaaaaa!" with a waving hand emoji. with one commenting: "Admin chose violence." another poked fun at Alexander-Arnold by adding: "This can't be Trent's last Chelsea memory." The right-back had earlier released a statement confirming his departure from Liverpool Alexander-Arnold said: "After 20 years at Liverpool Football Club now is the time for me to confirm that I will be leaving at the end of the season "This is easily the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life." "I know many of you have wondered why or been frustrated that I haven’t spoken about this yet but it was always my intention to keep my full focus on the team’s best interests which was securing number 20 [league titles] "This club has been my whole life – my whole world - for 20 years the support and love I have felt from everyone inside and outside of the club will stay with me forever I have never known anything else and this decision is about experiencing a new challenge taking myself out of my comfort zone and pushing myself both professionally and personally "I’ve given my all every single day I’ve been at this club and I hope you feel like I’ve given back to you during my time here the staff and our incredible supporters - for the last 20 years "I’ve been blessed enough to live out my dreams here and I will never ever take for granted the special moments I’ve been fortunate enough to have lived through with you all My love for this club will never die." After progressing through the club's academy Alexander-Arnold has made 352 first-team appearances for Liverpool he has scored 23 goals and provided 92 assists from right-back This season's Premier League title also takes his trophy haul to nine which also includes the Champions League TEAMtalk can reveal Chelsea have offered Dean Huijsen a slightly better financial package than Liverpool as both clubs make a strong push to sign the Bournemouth star Chelsea and Liverpool face an anxious wait after each making Huijsen a key defensive target as the centre-back is currently weighing up his next move The two Premier League giants have been in talks with Huijsen and his camp and sources state that they will find out his choice very soon Chelsea have been working very hard on winning the race and are considered to be in a strong position by many sources TEAMtalk understands Enzo Maresca’s side has sold the project to the 20-year-old and he is very interested in joining the club Of course, sources close to or within Chelsea will state they are in a good position, but we can confirm that there have indeed been very positive conversations. Chelsea have given Huijsen a great pitch with their project and their plans to use him as a crucial player in their squad next season which is described as extremely competitive and will only grow in value as time goes on It would also improve if the Blues have success and win major trophies in the coming years TEAMtalk can confirm Liverpool have been speaking with Huijsen’s camp for the same period of time and want the Spaniard to partner Virgil van Dijk at the heart of their defence next term They see the balance of Van Dijk’s experience and the talent of Huijsen as a great combination Liverpool’s contract proposal is also very strong but Chelsea have offered a better upfront financial package if Chelsea secure Champions League football for next season it could make it difficult for Liverpool to win the race A source who is close to Real Madrid’s scouting network has stated they are still monitoring Huijsen too and pose a threat to any deal Chelsea or Liverpool are aiming to close Decision reached as Chelsea star quits and £100m replacement lined up Liverpool get final Alexander-Arnold revenge on Real Madrid as Ornstein confirms contract length, arrival date are waiting to see which competitions clubs will be playing in next season before coming to a final decision meaning teams face an anxious wait to see if they have landed their key targets We revealed on April 18 that Chelsea are confident about beating Liverpool to Huijsen’s capture despite the lure of playing for the reigning Premier League champions Huijsen has a £50million (€59m / $66m) release clause in his Bournemouth contract which both Chelsea and Liverpool are prepared to meet as it is viewed as a fantastic price in the industry Interested clubs were given a boost on April 29 as sources confirmed to TEAMtalk that Bournemouth have landed on a possible replacement for Huijsen Liverpool have also made Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez their No 1 target left-back target to replace Andy Robertson, though the Reds will face competition from Manchester City for him Meanwhile, Chelsea have also held talks over another Liverpool-linked defender Liverpool will play without homegrown star Trent Alexander-Arnold next season as he has announced he will leave Anfield this summer His agreement to join Real Madrid on a free transfer has been confirmed By Samuel Bannister ➡️ Huijsen was born in Amsterdam in April 2005 and he played for Costa Unida CF de Marbella ➡️ Malaga signed him for their academy in 2015 he was promoted to Juventus’ Next Gen (U23) team enabling him to play among professionals in Serie C ➡️ Huijsen earned his senior debut for Juventus in October 2023 coming on as a substitute in a Serie A game ➡️ Roma took Huijsen on loan in January 2024 at the express wish of Jose Mourinho (who was sacked that same month) ➡️ He scored his first Serie A goal in February 2024 – and then another later that month after carrying the ball out from defence and shooting from distance he committed his international future to Spain ➡️ He made his last appearance for Roma in April 2024 and was an unused sub in their last five Serie A games of the season ➡️ Bournemouth bought Huijsen from Juventus in the summer of 2024 ➡️ He made his Premier League debut in the first game of the season lasting all 90 minutes against Nottingham Forest ➡️ He headed in his first goal for Bournemouth in December 2024 after returning to the starting lineup – which he has consistently remained in ever since Huijsen received his first call-up to the Spain senior squad and made his debut as a first-half substitute in the Nations League quarter-final clash against the Netherlands His second cap followed a few days later in the return leg providing an assist for Lamine Yamal during extra time ➡️ With a £50m (€58.5m) exit clause in his Bournemouth deal the Cherries face a huge fight to keep the player at the Vitality Stadium with a summer move a strong possibility CHELSEA'S stars put on their glad rags for their end-of-season awards party last night Both the men's and the women's teams gathered together at the five-star hotel Grosvenor House for a night of awards and celebrations There were smiles on the faces of everyone in attendance as both sides had been successful on the pitch over the weekend Sonia Bompastor's women's team are already WSL champions and 1-0 win over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur kept up their hopes of an Invincible seaon While Enzo Maresca's side pulled off a shock 3-1 win against Premier League champions Liverpool. Stars like Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke got suited and booted as they stopped for pictures on the blue carpet Sam Kerr and Erin Cuthbert were also wearing their finest threads for the occasion The glitzy night saw seven awards dished out for the players including Men's Player of the Season the Players' Player of the Season honours for both sides Millie Bright and Marcus Bettinelli were recognised as the club's PFA Community Champions - an award highlighting the players' contribution to the club charity, the Chelsea Foundation. While 17-year-old Lola Brown was named the Women's Academy Player of the Season after breaking into the first team this term. And 19-year-old Tyrique George who scored his first Blues goal last month was named as the Men's Academy Player of the Season Fans voted Erin Cuthbert as the Women's Player of the Season for the second time in her Chelsea career while teammates voted Nathalie Bjorn as the Women's Players' Player of the Season both awards were handed to midfielder Moises Caicedo Caicedo, who moved to Stamford Bridge in 2023 for £115m, has been a standout performer Chelsea this season and a crucial cog in Enzo Maresca's machine His double swoop puts him in an exclusive club of Chelsea players that have won both the Players' Player of the Season and the fan-voted Player of the Season awards in the same campaign He joins the likes of Cole Palmer, Thiago Silva and Eden Hazard on the list of double winners Chelsea won't be able to celebrate for too long with the second leg of their Uefa Conference League semi-final against Djurgarden just around the corner The SW6 side are 4-1 up from their first-leg triumph and look all but certain to make the final in Poland with another win on Thursday night Win a trip to the UEFA Conference League Final in Wroclaw with Hankook Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ Caicedo won both the Chelsea Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards on Sunday night which followed his side’s impressive victory over Liverpool Enzo Maresca‘s men beat Arne Slot’s team 3-1 at Stamford Bridge to give their chances of finishing in the top five a big boost Caicedo started and impressed many and has now been rewarded for all of his excellent performances this season Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer have also had good campaigns and Caicedo actually thought one of the trio would claim the Players’ Player of the Season award Speaking to Chelsea’s official website after picking up the honour the midfielder said: “Being given this award (the Players’ Player of the Year) by my team-mates means a lot to me They help me every day and in every game; it is an award for them too but as I was watching the video [of who the players voted for] and then Cole because they have all had good seasons So I was very pleased when I heard my name.” Palmer will not feel too hard done by after losing out to Caicedo. Before the award ceremony, Palmer had already discussed Caicedo’s impact this season stating that he had been Chelsea’s “best player” That has now been officially recognised by his teammates and supporters who were responsible for the voting in both awards All of that will mean nothing to Caicedo, though, if Chelsea end up missing out on Champions League qualification That was his and the rest of the team’s ultimate goal heading into this campaign If they can beat Newcastle United in their next Premier League game then there is a great chance of them getting the job done Caicedo has deserved the accolades he has just collected the Ecuadorian has been phenomenal for Chelsea this term Caicedo leads this team when it comes to tackles Had Palmer not gone off the boil in the second half of the season then the Englishman probably would have taken home both awards But Caicedo has been way more consistent compared to his teammate Magpies remain fourth ahead of crucial St James’ Park clash despite the two clubs now sharing an identical points tally and goal difference The crowded race for a top-five finish in the Premier League looks set to go right down to the wire With Liverpool wrapping up the title with four games to spare and all three relegated teams confirmed weeks in advance a fierce battle for Champions League qualification next term is taking centre stage in the final weeks of a memorable season Normally it’s only the top-four finishers in the Premier League that book a position among Europe’s elite though fifth place will also be enough in this campaign thanks to Arsenal’s quarter-final first-leg win over Real Madrid that sealed England a top-two slot in UEFA's association club coefficient rankings and led to a coveted European Performance Spot (EPS) English football could still have as many as 10 representatives across the three European competitions next season depending on how things work out in the coming weeks and in the various continental finals and FA Cup showpiece at Wembley Aimee Lou Wood says she criticised SNL sketch to not ‘spiral inwardly’ Eberechi Eze on target again as Crystal Palace made to settle for a point Neville hails Chelsea star with Ronaldo comparison: 'In same sentence' It’s a truly fascinating battle with so many caveats not least the fact that Chelsea still have to play both Newcastle and Forest before the end of the season Newcastle left it late to claim a share of the spoils after a lively second half against Brighton with top scorer Alexander Isak netting an 89th-minute equaliser from the spot in a 1-1 draw after Yasin Ayari’s handball from a Fabian Schar free-kick having trailed to a first-half effort from ex-Toon player Yankuba Minteh and seen two other penalty awards overturned by VAR That was followed by arguably Chelsea’s biggest win of the season at home to a Liverpool side who made six changes with the title already clinched with Cole Palmer also stepping up with a last-gasp penalty after Jarell Quansah had fouled Moises Caicedo with seconds to go in stoppage time to finally end his long drought of 18 games without a goal across all competitions dating back to mid-January Enzo Fernandez had finished off a fine move to give Chelsea a third-minute lead with the earliest league goal netted at Stamford Bridge since 2017 before Virgil van Dijk’s late header from a cornet set up a nervy finish after his earlier clearance had bounced in for an own goal off the unfortunate Quansah A third straight win for the likely Conference League finalists brought Chelsea level on points with Newcastle after they dropped two at the Amex Stadium while a two-goal swing also saw them equal their rivals’ goal difference of +21 Newcastle remain ahead of Chelsea leading up to Sunday’s pivotal meeting on Tyneside due to the fact that they have scored more goals than their next opponents as things stand - 66 to 62 Overall goal difference and goals scored are the primary tiebreakers in that order in the Premier League if points are level It is worth noting that Forest’s goal difference is currently +12 so they would not have leapfrogged Chelsea or Newcastle if they won at Selhurst Park on Monday Nuno Espirito Santo’s surprise package have also scored far fewer than both of those rivals with 54 - one fewer than Aston Villa whose goal difference is worse still at +6 In what was one of his standout appearances in a Chelsea shirt so far helping control the midfield battle while boasting a flawless passing display not misplacing a single pass during his time on the pitch against the Reds Supporters on the Chelsea Official App also voted him second for the Player of the Match prize, only missing out to Cole Palmer, while the midfielder received praise from head coach Enzo Maresca as the Italian explained that the Blues are a ‘better team’ with Romeo involved Speaking after the game, the Belgian midfielder was quick to credit the team with goals from Enzo Fernandez, Palmer and an own-goal, handing the Blues all three crucial points. ‘It’s a great result,’ the 21-year-old opened. ‘We have been very focused on what we have to do, so it was good to see that the plan we had worked out well. And to get the win is even better. ‘My goal for the whole season was to be with the team and help them as much as I can. I’m pleased I’ve been able to do it [against Liverpool]. I feel good. I take it game by game and I’m enjoying every moment, so it’s positive at the moment.’ Lavia’s poise, control and composure in midfield allowed attacking players like Cole Palmer to be extremely effective against Liverpool, and the Belgian was keen to praise the talent exhibited by our No. 20. ‘Cole is always so calm, so you can’t really see a difference on his face,’ he laughed. ‘Everyone is really happy, I’m sure he is as well, and I hope he can carry on in that way.’ Lavia acknowledged that the win marks another step forward for the Blues with Maresca’s side now unbeaten in the Premier League since the start of April, but he added that the squad will remain grounded in our quest for Champions League qualification. ‘We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, we will focus game by game, and we have another big one on Thursday [against Djurgarden],’ he said. ‘We have created momentum, it’s a positive atmosphere to be in, and that will help us in the future. ‘Every game is important. ‘Final’ is a big word, but I think we just have to focus on each game, stick to our plans, and everything will hopefully go well.’ Chief football writer at Stamford BridgePublished4 May 2025Cole Palmer's talent is worthy of the highest Champions League stage so it was fitting he was back to his brilliant best to push Chelsea closer to a return to Europe's elite tournament The stunning form that inspired the Blues early in the season making them title dark horses at one point deserted him as he went 18 games in all competitions without a goal leaving them with a fight on their hands to reach the top five But when Chelsea and head coach Enzo Maresca needed him Palmer was the inspiration behind their 3-1 win against newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge carried an air of lethargy following the emotional high of securing their 20th title in front of an ecstatic Anfield last weekend but Chelsea still needed to take advantage and their lavishly gifted 22-year-old was the catalyst a hive of industry and creation that illustrated exactly why he is central to all of his side's hopes for success His dip in form has become a widespread topic of conversation but he insists his own feelings and attitude have never changed – along with his refusal to study any social media opinions with a run through the centre before sending a sweeping pass out to Pedro Neto to set up Enzo Fernandez's third-minute opener Palmer then produced a brilliant run to beat Kostas Tsimikas in the 56th minute his low cross a source of such chaos in Liverpool's defence that captain Virgil van Dijk lashed his a clearance against team-mate Jarell Quansah and into his own net He was unfortunate not to end his goal drought earlier than he did when another superb incursion into the area ended with a shot from a tight angle that beat Liverpool keeper Alisson but hit the post Palmer's dry spell ended with almost the last kick of the game a penalty in the sixth minute of added time and dispatched with confidence to end that worrying sequence stretching back to a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth on 14 January The wait for a goal was over after 1,162 minutes Chelsea beat champions Liverpool to bolster top-five hopes Chelsea win 'important' in Champions League race - but who will prevail How 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool These were Palmer's big moments but he had an overall impact on a game that was so crucial to Chelsea who are now only behind fourth-placed Newcastle United on goals scored – 62 against 66 – with the same goal difference of plus-21 It perfectly sets up their visit to Tyneside on Sunday This was a complete performance from Palmer made the joint-most passes ending in the final third (13) and had the joint-most touches in the opposition box (eight) of any Chelsea player His worth is further underlined by the fact that he now has 37 goals in 67 league games for Chelsea - putting him 10th on the club's all-time league top scorers list "I just felt normal," said Palmer I went three months without scoring but it just gives me more fight and motivation to do more for myself and for the team it feels like you're letting your team down I feel pride in helping the team and if I'm not doing that "Social media nowadays is full of idiots but it's only one and I've got to keep improving and try to reach new levels." Head coach Maresca never doubted his key man as he added: "We see him day to day on the training ground and he is always the same "He is unhappy when he is not scoring because he is someone who only wants to help the team and the club." who was brought down by Quansah for Chelsea's late penalty joined the chorus of praise as he said: "He deserves it He helps us a lot even when he didn't score He's a great guy and deserves everything." The scale of the celebrations at Stamford Bridge among fans and players showed how much this victory meant Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez ran the length of the pitch to join in the scenes of elation as the forward disappeared under a collection of blue shirts If this does prove to be the day when Palmer finally rediscovered his golden touch it came with perfect timing for the Londoners A place in the Champions League will make life a lot easier for Maresca and everyone at Chelsea as they contemplate defining fixtures against those fighting with them for those precious places to end their season they will visit Nottingham Forest - currently three points behind in sixth place - on 25 May These days will shape Chelsea's destiny for next season And with Palmer in the sort of form that tormented Liverpool his side will feel they are approaching the final fences in good shape Get Chelsea news sent straight to your phone Top storiesHis stats are better but will Yamal build legacy to rival Messi 'Calamity keeper' or 'human wall' - which Donnarumma will Arsenal face Premier League reaction & Champions League race latest as Forest draw at Palace The final series of Man Like Mobeen has arrived John Simm stars in the provocative 90s drama Warm-hearted comedy with Ben Miller and Sally Phillips Follow two ambitious river restoration projects Who has made Troy's Premier League team of the week Trailblazer Zhao set to take snooker to 'another level' in China Alexander-Arnold leaves as modern Liverpool great - but fans will feel hurt Zhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights VideoZhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights 'Scheffler and DeChambeau wins further raise US PGA excitement levels' Match-fixing scandal to Crucible champion - fall and rise of Zhao 'We need to take a look at ourselves' - Arsenal stalling at wrong time Palmer's brilliance could be key moment in Chelsea's Champions League quest Europa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney VideoEuropa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney Ask Me Anything the new BBC Sport service designed to serve you Bayern's 'James Bond' - how Kane clinched his first trophy Nine bolters with a shot of making the Lions squad VideoHow 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool Still number one & 'sparring' with Draper - return of Sinner Saints 'punch' favourites Leinster in game for the ages VideoVardy the best £1m ever spent - Shearer Poppy's tears Elton John & Happy Gilmore - McIlroy on Jimmy Fallon show Two opposing views on football's transgender ban Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Freelance Sports ReporterPublished: Invalid Date CHELSEA fans loved seeing the players' wild dressing celebrations after the win over Liverpool The Blues stormed to a 3-1 win over the newly-crowned Premier League champions at Stamford Bridge on Sunday Enzo Fernandez fired the hosts into the lead before Jarell Quansah put through his own net Virgil van Dijk got one back for Liverpool before Cole Palmer put the result to bed with a 96th-minute penalty The victory for Chelsea is a significant boost to their Champions League qualification hopes The players were clearly overjoyed with the result as they celebrated in the dressing room The video showed Enzo Fernandez shirtless and dancing before Noni Madueke took centre stage. The winger sprang up from his seat to dance in front of the whole squad, who all cheered him on. Fans loved seeing the players in a buoyant mood as they reacted on social media. One posted: "I love these fools." A second wrote: "Missed these vibes." A third commented: "They finally found their happiness." A fourth said: "Most likeable Chelsea squad in a long time The win puts the Blues fifth in the Premier League, level on points with fourth-placed Newcastle Enzo Maresca's squad take on the Magpies on Sunday in what could be a crucial match in the race for the Champions League Chelsea then finish the season with matches against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest Chelsea earn comfortable win against Spurs Catarina Macario's first-half penalty was enough to earn Chelsea victory against Tottenham Hotpsur and put the newly crowned Women's Super League champions on the brink of an unbeaten top-flight season Sonia Bompastor made nine changes to the Chelsea side that beat Manchester United on Wednesday to secure a sixth straight WSL title, and that showed as the visitors lacked intensity and fluidity in the first half Robert Vilahamn's Tottenham repeatedly found space in behind a makeshift Chelsea backline that included wingers Ashley Lawrence and Guro Reiten at full-back and midfielder Sjoeke Nusken at centre-back The movement of Spurs captain Bethany England in particular caused issues - on several occasions the former Chelsea striker dropped deep to link up play and spread the ball to wide areas But Chelsea grew into the game as the half progressed and capitalised on their first real moment of quality Macario showed quick feet to side-step Molly Bartrip just inside the penalty area before she was sandwiched by the Spurs defender and Ashleigh Neville The United States attacker sent Lize Kop the wrong way from the spot to break the deadlock though Spurs should have drawn level soon after A lapse in concentration from Lawrence allowed Charli Grant to jump the Chelsea offside trap but the Australia midfielder fired straight at Hannah Hampton when bearing down on goal Chelsea looked more energised after the break though Eveliina Summanen - back in the Spurs line-up following suspension - had Chelsea hearts in mouths with a free-kick that had Hampton scrambling as it flew narrowly wide of the post Maika Hamano forced Kop into a fine fingertip save with a long-range strike before the Japan forward spooned an effort over the crossbar after being played in by Macario Kop produced a fine double stop late on to first deny Lawrence Bompastor introduced regulars Nathalie Bjorn Naomi Girma and Wieke Kaptein as Chelsea came away a one-goal winning margin for the ninth time this season If they avoid defeat against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Saturday Chelsea will become the first team to go unbeaten in a 22-game WSL campaign Tottenham have now gone nine games without a win and are on track to finish 10th Sonia Bompastor remains undefeated in her debut WSL campaign Though Chelsea were far from their fluid best at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium few teams could make nine changes and still earn a relatively comfortable victory Rotation allowed Bompastor to rest several key players after what has been a physically and emotionally draining few weeks - Lucy Bronze and Millie Bright did not even make the matchday squad With Champions League humiliation somewhat offset by clinching the WSL title in midweek Chelsea's focus has shifted to securing a domestic treble by beating Manchester United in the FA Women's Cup final later this month Hamano and Macario certainly made their cases to start at Wembley on 18 May the latter especially if first-choice striker Mayra Ramirez does not recover from the injury that kept her out on Sunday Mia Fishel lasting 56 minutes on her first start in 15 months following an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) was another positive as was a WSL debut from the bench for 17-year-old academy starlet Lola Brown "When you want to be a competitor you have to have this mentality to keep going," Chelsea manager Bompastor told BBC Sport We wanted to come here and make a good performance When you are a competitor you want to win every single game we gave the opportunity to some other players to perform and show themselves for the FA Cup final." As they have done on several occasions this season It felt like the odds were always stacked against Tottenham who had lost all 10 of their previous WSL meetings with Chelsea During his Friday press conference manager Vilahamn spoke of his disappointment at how the season has gone admitting that they only have themselves to blame Despite facing a patchwork Chelsea defence poor finishing and decision-making inside the penalty area once again cost Spurs The hosts' only shot on target came from Grant who had plenty of time to pick her spot but shot straight at Hampton Positives can be taken from some of their build-up play but ultimately Spurs idd not make their first-half dominance count After the opportunity to rate players has closed the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users Head here to get involved Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made Walsh Match OfficialsReferee: Melissa BurginMatch StatsKey Lenna Gunning-Williams (Tottenham Hotspur Women) wins a free kick on the right wing Lola Brown (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half Foul by Clare Hunt (Tottenham Hotspur Women) Amanda Nildén (Tottenham Hotspur Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half Oriane Jean-François (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half Foul by Matilda Vinberg (Tottenham Hotspur Women) Lenna Gunning-Williams replaces Jessica Naz Fourth official has announced 6 minutes of added time Sjoeke Nüsken (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner Ashley Lawrence (Chelsea Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner Naomi Girma (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half Delay in match because of an injury Guro Reiten (Chelsea Women) Ella Morris (Tottenham Hotspur Women) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked Premier League tradition was not well received by many of the home faithful at Stamford Bridge Arne Slot insists he did not hear Chelsea fans booing the guard of honour given to his Liverpool players as he hinted at potential new signings for the champions this summer Chelsea abided by established Premier League tradition at Stamford Bridge as their players lined up to applaud their Reds counterparts as they came out of the tunnel ahead of Sunday’s game, with the visitors having wrapped up the title with four games to spare by coming from behind to thrash Tottenham 5-1 at Anfield last weekend Clubs are under no obligation to perform what is an entirely voluntary gesture, though Blues boss Enzo Maresca and defender Marc Cucurella had both publicly confirmed in the days leading up to the game that they would give Liverpool the guard of honour that they said they deserved - with title rivals Arsenal Brighton and Crystal Palace all expected to follow suit over the coming weeks There were loud boos from the home fans as the guard of honour was performed on Sunday, but Slot was more focused on the non-stop title party that continued in the away end at the Bridge despite travel difficulties and a 3-1 defeat for his side “I only heard our fans during almost the whole game I just heard that they couldn't come here on trains But they were on time and they were loud throughout the whole game I haven't heard anyone booing - I only heard our fans singing.” Slot followed through on his promise to rotate his squad against Chelsea with the title already clinched making six changes from the thumping win over Spurs 'A machine': Palmer reveals Chelsea's best player after Liverpool win Maresca reveals possible '15-day' Chelsea injury blow before big games Enter the AXA Startup Angel competition to win £25,000 His much-altered team lacked intensity for long periods in west London though forced a grandstand finish when Virgil van Dijk’s late header made it 2-1 with five minutes to play after he had accidentally caused Jarell Quansah’s unfortunate own goal earlier in the second half to follow a third-minute Enzo Fernandez strike then stepped up in the closing seconds of stoppage time to coolly dispatch a penalty beyond Alisson after Quansah had fouled Moises Caicedo finally ending his run of 18 matches without a goal across all competitions Such a defeat with a largely second-string side in many areas will only add to calls that Liverpool need to strengthen their squad this summer in a bid to successfully defend their title with Georgia international goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili already set to arrive from LaLiga outfit Valencia in a £35million deal agreed last September Asked if he felt there was a big summer ahead in terms of recruitment Slot told Sky Sports: “It’s already a big summer because we extended Virgil and Mo [Salah’s contracts] For large parts of the season I don’t think everybody expected that so for us to keep them is already a big thing “We will see what the summer will bring but I’ve said many times I’m really happy with the squad we have but it is also true that it’s the second year in a row these players are together “Sometimes it can be good to bring some fresh energy as well but last year we decided just to keep them all We won the league and we kept Virgil and Mo.” On potentially adding to a winning team and “striking while the iron is hot” in the transfer market but only if we see a chance in the market or if we can see someone who can improve us “It’s not so easy to improve this team because it’s already a team that won the Premier League so good against Paris Saint-Germain at home [in the Champions League last 16] but unfortunately we lost that on penalties.” Federico Chiesa is the only player to have joined Liverpool during Slot’s tenure so far but has been a peripheral figure on Merseyside since arriving from Juventus in a cut-price deal worth around £12.5m last summer He is expected to be given a chance to prove himself in the final weeks of the season but was restricted to a late substitute’s role against Chelsea despite the Reds trailing as he eventually replaced left-back Kostas Tsimikas in the 82nd minute to make a fifth league appearance of the season that will guarantee him a winners’ medal Many fans were disappointed not to see Chiesa given more of a runout at Stamford Bridge with Slot explaining when asked why he took so long to introduce the Italian: “Because I decided to bring other players in first because I already brought Darwin [Nunez] in so that wasn't a position I could bring him in he played a really good game and I've changed him and took him out in the last few weeks many times already Mo is always a player that can score a goal so that's why I first made different substitutions I would almost say what people expect from me over here is we take an extra risk but not enough time left for him to make the difference Chelsea aided their hopes of Champions League qualification with an excellent win over the champions This game was very important. Liverpool forced us to defend deep, something that we don’t like to do. But they are so good. We planned the game, trying to be aggressive. But they forced us into a different plan and we adapted quite well. I am very impressed with my players. It is not easy to play man-to-man. If we finish top five, everyone is thinking they are doing well, but I am impressed with them [regardless]. For sure, Chelsea has to fight for Champions League. Hopefully in the future it can be for something more important. 2d ago19.47 CESTHere the xG, if you’re into that sort of thing. 2d ago19.46 CESTChelsea’s Cole Palmer speaks to the cameras: Liverpool are champions for a reason but I think we had desire and good fight and we edged them. Shit happens, obviously I went three months without scoring, but it just gave me more motivation to keep working. Social media is just full of idiots but I just want to help my team. You feel like you’re letting your team down when you miss chances. I’ve had doubters all my life, it doesn’t bother me. I was trying things today, first-time passes. I felt normal today. 2d ago19.41 CESTIn other news, London City Lionesses have been promoted to the Women’s Super League after a dramatic final day in the Women’s Championship. Cucurella and Madueke were the standout players Not sure how deeply we need to look into that Liverpool defeat. Their mentality was poor today, but that is not unexpected after the highs of last week. Slot rung the changes, and just as he did against Plymouth in the FA Cup in February, Liverpool did not gel. 2d ago19.28 CESTThis is what that result does to the league table. Chelsea are now three points clear of Forest and Villa and will watch on with interest as Forest take on Palace on Monday night. 2d ago19.25 CESTFull-time: Chelsea 3-1 LiverpoolThe champions are beaten! 2d ago19.25 CESTGOAL Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool (Palmer pen 90+7)Palmer caps a wonderful display by passing the ball to Alisson’s right Liverpool’s goalkeeper guesses right but can’t reach the penalty 2d ago19.22 CEST90+4 min: Salah is so far short of his normal exceptional standards today. The man can’t trap a beanbag today. 2d ago19.18 CEST90 min: Corner to Chelsea then take it short and immediately lose possession of the ball Five minutes added on for Liverpool to get an equaliser. 2d ago19.17 CEST89 min: Chelsea make another change: goalscorer Fernandez off for Reece James. 2d ago19.16 CEST87 min: Chelsea so easily could be 3-0 up but now they face an anxious last few minutes to secure the three points, which are so precious in the race for Champions League qualification. 2d ago19.15 CESTGOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (Van Dijk 85)How bizarre! Chelsea fail to mark Van Dijk from a corner and the Dutchman has a completely free run to meet the cross Chelsea also made a change: Lavia off, Gusto on. Caicedo will go into midfield, Gusto to right back. 2d ago19.13 CEST81 min: Palmer hits the post The England midfielder ghosts past Bradley to the byline indicate he is going to pull the ball back to a teammate but Palmer instead shoots from the tightest of angles Alisson is completely out of position but the ball rebounds out off the far post and to safety 2d ago19.05 CEST73 min: Chelsea have fallen into a mid/low block, and Liverpool are enjoying plenty of possession and now have Szoboszlai and Mac Allister on the ball I should say that there were some other chants from Chelsea fans: ‘always the victim’. Grim. 2d ago19.03 CEST71 min: Chelsea respond with a change of their own: Jadon Sancho replaces Nicolas Jackson. That means Madueke will go to the right and Neto will play as a central striker. 2d ago19.01 CEST69 min: Some substitutions to tell you about: Liverpool take Elliott and Endo off for Mac Allister and Szoboszlai. 2d ago18.57 CEST65 min: Which is taken by Elliott and blasted straight into the Chelsea wall. 2d ago18.54 CEST63 min: Chelsea supporters have started singing about Steve Gerrard and Demba Ba, I am obliged to report. 2d ago18.51 CEST59 min: Slot makes a double change, maybe 14 minutes too late. Nunez on for Jota, Bradley on for Alexander-Arnold. with the ball rebounding straight into the net 2d ago18.42 CEST52 min: Groands from the Chelsea fans as Jackson is caught offside from a Madueke pass. It’s not clear if they are annoyed at the late timing of the latter’s pass, or Jackson’s errant run. Maybe both. 2d ago18.33 CESTPeeeeeeeep!We’re back underway at Stamford Bridge. Both sides are unchanged, which is a little surprising (for Liverpool). Updated at 18.34 CEST2d ago18.19 CESTHalf-time reading: Updated at 18.21 CEST2d ago18.17 CEST45 min: One minute added on for stoppage time. This half has flown by. 2d ago18.16 CEST41 min: Palmer finds a nice pocket of space on the right side of Chelsea’s midfield and releases Neto and the winger slaloms right and left before cutting inside Tsimikas and shooting low into the near side netting. Had that been inside the post, I don’t think Alisson was getting there! Maresca praise for 16-year-old Chelsea debutant Walsh BBC Sport football news reporter at 3Arena in StockholmPublished2 May 2025Chelsea have been so dominant throughout this year's Europa Conference League that while sweeping aside just about every team in front of them they have also been able to use the competition to blood a number of youngsters The Blues have one foot in the final after a comfortable 4-1 win over Djurgarden in their semi-final first leg on Thursday - and this time it was 16-year-old Reggie Walsh's turn to be introduced on the global stage he is unable to sign a professional contract until his 17th birthday in October But Walsh is now Chelsea's third youngest ever player behind only midfielder Ian Hamilton and goalkeeper Kingsley Whiffen - who made their debuts in 1967 - having entered the pitch at 3Arena six months and 11 days after his 16th birthday When asked by BBC Sport why he chose to bring on Walsh who almost scored from the edge of the box with his first touch he needs to work hard and he needs to grow for sure they just said to me that we gave eight debuts this season from the academy On whether Walsh now needs to focus on his GCSEs Maresca added: "This is the most important thing for him at this moment Walsh is a technically gifted midfield and has played mostly for the under-18s this season registering four goals and two assists in 15 games while also making two appearances for the under-21 side He joined Chelsea at the age of seven and progressed through the age groups at Cobham from the under-15s through to the under-17s Maresca was pictured whispering in his ear as Walsh prepared to come on later revealing that he told the teenager to "enjoy the moment be happy and play the way he's training with us every day" "He's so good because he makes everything easy," said the Italian also said of Walsh on TNT Sports: "He's a very good player I'm very happy for him to make his debut I hope [there's] more to come for him and I am very happy for him." Jackson's double gives Chelsea control in Djurgarden How teenager George broke through Chelsea's £1bn squad Antony volley hands Betis first-leg lead over Fiorentina More on this storyLatest Chelsea news Cole Palmer finally ends his 18-game goal drought as confident Blues see off the champions in massive win at Stamford Bridge Chelsea vs Liverpool LIVE Chelsea produced arguably their best win of the season so far on Sunday as much-changed champions Liverpool were defeated 3-1 at Stamford Bridge Cole Palmer ended his long goal drought that had stood at 18 games across all competitions with a last-gasp penalty to set the seal on a momentous victory after Moises Caicedo had been fouled inside the box by Jarell Quansah A late header from a corner from Virgil van Dijk had set up a nervy finish in west London, halving Chelsea’s lead after the Liverpool captain had earlier inadvertently seen a clearance hit Quansah and bounce in for an unfortunate own goal. The Blues led after only three minutes when Enzo Fernandez finished off a sweeping move involving Romeo Lavia, Palmer and Pedro Neto, scoring Chelsea’s earliest home Premier League goal since 2017 The result took Enzo Maresca’s resurgent side level on points with Newcastle in fourth with a massive game to come at St James’ Park next weekend in the battle for a top-five finish after the home second leg of their Conference League semi-final tie against Djurgarden will look to bounce back against former title rivals Arsenal at Anfield Follow Chelsea vs Liverpool reaction live below 97 mins: The long goal drought is over and a huge three points for Chelsea guaranteed as Alisson dives the right way but hasn’t got a chance of keeping out Palmer’s pacey penalty 95 mins: Chelsea are going to see this out with a number of bitty fouls breaking up play and now Bradley getting into it Quansah fouls Caicedo and Chelsea have a last-gasp penalty at the death 92 mins: Gary Neville names Cole Palmer as his man of the match on Sky Sports despite that goal drought looking set to extend once again 90 mins: Chelsea force a corner but their big threats from defence are wisely told to stay at home by Maresca We will have FIVE added minutes at Stamford Bridge Standard Sport’s Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge Not sure Enzo Fernandez is the player I’d be taking off here He’s Chelsea’s best midfielder in terms of ball retention and knows a trick or two when it comes to slowing things down and wasting time 88 mins: Chelsea captain Reece James replaces Fernandez 86 mins: Chelsea try to quickly restore their two-goal cushion as Palmer’s curling strike forces a save from Alisson before Neto lashes into row z 85 mins: A nervy finish ahead at Stamford Bridge as Van Dijk is again left in way too much space to power home a header from Mac Allister’s corner The ceremony was held shortly after our Women's team beat Tottenham Hotspur in the WSL and the Men's team were victorious over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League with seven awards handed out throughout the evening They included our Men's Player of the Season the Players' Player of the Season honours for both sides and awards for those in our Academy You can see the full list of award winners below The PFA Community Champion award highlights the contribution of players on our Men's and Women's teams who have gone above and beyond in their work with the Chelsea Foundation ‘It’s about being a genuine person and caring about the community,' said Bright 'Giving back is a massive part of my values and being a Chelsea player as well.’ Lola Brown is the Chelsea Women's Academy Player of the Year having broken into the first team squad this season and made her debut for the senior team The midfielder signed a three-year professional contract shortly after turning 17 Two days later she made her first senior appearance as a late sub in a big home win over Celtic in the Champions League and has gained valuable experience by regularly training with the first team Tyrique George was named Men’s Academy Player of the Year following a fantastic breakout campaign at Stamford Bridge George has played 22 times for our senior team so far this term with Maresca deploying the youngster on either flank and as the central striker He has impressed with his direct running and confidence in possession has established himself as a valuable member of Maresca’s squad He has featured in all 11 of our UEFA Conference League fixtures to date He notched his first senior goal in the win away to Legia Warsaw and followed that up later in April with his debut Premier League strike the well-taken equaliser at Fulham that kickstarted a vital comeback The Blues Women's team chose Nathalie Bjorn as their Players’ Player of the Year The Swede has been a rock in the heart of our defence, forging a formidable partnership with Millie Bright She has delivered countless blocks and tackles to help preserve clean sheets and shown her technical quality by starting attacks with pinpoint passes out from the back The 27-year-old also started the comeback of the season in the second leg of our Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City with a fine header Moises' team-mates have recognised his invaluable contribution to the side this season Caicedo leads the way for us in terms of successful tackles and interceptions and ranks in the top ten of the Premier League for both He has chipped in with a goal and three assists earning us a point away to Manchester United with a superb volley Caicedo’s reliability and all-action midfield play has been a key factor in our season and he has skippered the side on occasion further demonstrating his leadership qualities The prize has gone to Erin Cuthbert for the second time in her illustrious Chelsea career The Scot has been an integral presence in Sonia Bompastor’s midfield showcasing her customary consistency in a season in which she brought up the landmark of 250 Blues appearances Cuthbert marked the occasion by scoring against West Ham The 26-year-old also delivered a crucial moment in the title race in late March She put her head in where it hurts to dramatically win our WSL game at Man City and help us take a big step towards our sixth straight league crown Cuthbert received her trophy from Bompastor who did not look surprised Blues fans had voted her midfielder as their outstanding performer this season Caicedo was also voted the Chelsea Player of the Year by Blues supporters after a wonderful second season at Stamford Bridge The Ecuadorian has fulfilled a vital role in Enzo Maresca’s midfield and proven equally adept when deployed at right-back and asked to advance from that role Caicedo has started every Premier League game for us so far and regularly had the Stamford Bridge faithful roaring in appreciation after a well-timed challenge Moises joins the likes of Eden Hazard, Thiago Silva and his team-mate Cole Palmer as Chelsea players who have won both the Players’ Player and Player of the Year award in the same season England star earns man-of-the-match honours after finally ending long goal drought but he lavishes praise on ‘dream’ team-mate Cole Palmer has hailed Moises Caicedo as Chelsea’s best performer this season after their vital win over Liverpool Both players were crucial to Sunday’s 3-1 victory over the much-changed champions at Stamford Bridge a third in a row in the top-flight for the resurgent fifth-place Blues to take them level on points with Newcastle in fourth ahead of next weekend’s potentially pivotal trip to St James’ Park Chelsea also now have the exact same goal difference as Newcastle in the battle for Champions League qualification and remain behind them on goals scored only after the Magpies’ eventful 1-1 draw at mid-table Brighton earlier on Sunday in which Alexander Isak netted a late equaliser from the penalty spot Sixth-place Nottingham Forest can join that duo on 63 points if they win away at FA Cup finalists Crystal Palace on Monday night with Chelsea travelling to the City Ground on the final day of the season after a visit from Manchester United Aston Villa are on 60 points in seventh and still very much in the fierce top-five race themselves after edging past Fulham on Saturday while Manchester City are only a point ahead of Chelsea in third after beating Wolves and Arsenal three points further on in second after losing at home to Bournemouth As well as providing another boost to Chelsea’s Champions League hopes the win over Liverpool was also notable for Palmer finally ending a well-documented goal drought that had lasted for 18 matches across all competitions - dating back to the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth in mid-January - as he stepped up to confidently dispatch a last-gasp penalty that settled nerves among the home contingent Meal2Deal: on a mission to make food poverty history Virgil van Dijk’s late header from a corner had looked to set up a grandstand finish after Enzo Fernandez’s third-minute strike - the fastest league goal scored at Stamford Bridge since 2017 - was followed by an unfortunate own goal from Jarell Quansah that saw Van Dijk’s attempted clearance clatter into him and in While pundits and fans alike waxed lyrical over man-of-the-match Palmer’s performance against Liverpool the all-action midfielder who delivered another impactful display from right-back including winning the stoppage-time penalty after being moved into the middle and fouled by Quansah “When you’ve got him next to you it’s a dream really,” Palmer told Sky Sports of Caicedo’s impact for Chelsea From the start of the season until now I think he’s been our best player The compliment was quickly returned by Caicedo who was effusive in his praise of Palmer for continuing to play an important role for Chelsea even when the goals had dried up in the first real prolonged blip of his otherwise outstanding Blues career he helped us a lot even when he didn’t score He’s a great guy and deserves everything.” Told it seemed like he did not agree with himself being named as the man of the match against Liverpool The Blues got off to a great start when Enzo Fernandez put us in front after just three minutes and we never looked like surrendering our lead An own-goal from Jarrell Quansah early in the second period was just reward for Chelsea and despite Virgil Van Dijk setting up a nervy finish with a header five minutes from time, Cole Palmer rounded off a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon at the Bridge from the penalty spot deep into injury-time Enzo Maresca reverted to the same XI that beat Everton in the Premier League last weekend with eight alterations to the side that defeated Djurgarden on Thursday night Robert Sanchez's return to fitness meant he started and Moises Caicedo was at right-back once more, alongside Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella Romeo Lavia was in the XI again, alongside Fernandez, with Palmer in the more advanced role, Pedro Neto on the right and Noni Madueke on the left. Nicolas Jackson fresh from making it three goals in two games midweek as Sanchez had to dive to claim an early cross but it was Chelsea who scored the game's opening goal after just three minutes Palmer released Neto on the right flank and after driving past Kostas Tsimikas his low cross was well controlled by Fernandez close to the penalty area and he coolly slotted into the bottom right corner for 1-0 Chelsea were attacking with pace and Madueke saw a low shot go wide of the post after a dangerous counter while at the other end Sanchez did well to hold on to Cody Gakpo's curled shot There were several nearly moments for the Blues before Neto had a blocked volley from close range following Liverpool's failure to clear a Fernandez corner good skill from Madueke saw him play a one-two with Cucurella deep inside the Reds' box and the winger's toe-poke towards goal was accidentally blocked by Jackson The ball fell to Caicedo and his cross from the byline bounced off the top of the crossbar Some of the Chelsea fans inside Stamford Bridge thought we had a second goal shortly before half-time when a counter-attack ended with Neto cutting inside and hitting the side-netting with a low drive towards the near post Madueke did have the ball inside the net a minute later after being slipped through by Jackson and rounding Alisson but the striker had strayed offside in the build-up with Jackson having a relatively tame shot saved and we extended our advantage 11 minutes into the second half Good dribbling from Palmer on the right flank saw him get to the byline and square across the six-yard box Madueke's sliding effort was blocked by the diving defender but when Virgil Van Dijk attempted to clear the ball rebounded off Quansah and into the net for 2-0 Jackson's work rate then created a chance but his shot from a tight angle was easily saved before the visitors enjoyed a period of pressure without truly troubling Sanchez in our goal Van Dijk and Salah did head over and wide respectively though The Blues continued to carry a threat on the counter-attack, though. Alisson needed to make a good save from substitute Jadon Sancho after Madueke had a goal-bound effort blocked It wasn't long until Palmer beat his man wide left and hit a shot from a tight angle which struck the far post and rebounded across the face of goal Liverpool set up a nervy finish by pulling a goal back with five minutes of normal time remaining But it was Chelsea who looked most like scoring another Neto fired over following good build-up play and we guaranteed the win deep into injury-time Jackson was bundled over in the penalty area leaving Palmer to step up and score his first goal since mid-January With Newcastle United drawing to Brighton earlier in the day plus Aston Villa and Man City winning in recent days it means just seven points separate Nottingham Forest and Villa in sixth and seventh and the Gunners in third three points above Nottingham Forest who play Crystal Palace tomorrow in their game in hand but they have an inferior goal difference We are level on points - and goal difference - with Newcastle United above us and only one point below Manchester City in third We are now just four points off Arsenal in second The Blues' focus now turns to Thursday's Conference League semi-final second leg against Djurgarden with us enjoying a 4-1 lead heading into the game at Stamford Bridge We will then be back in Premier League action next Sunday Madueke; Jackson (Sancho 72)Substitutes not used: Jorgensen Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (Bradley 57) Tsimikas (Chiesa 82); Endo (Mac Allister 69) Jones Chelsea boosted their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League with a 3-1 victory over champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge 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 Chelsea are also level on points with fourth-placed Newcastle United whom they play at St James' Park next weekend 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 a post from a tight angle, before Liverpool’s late pressure at the other end eventually culminated in Van Dijk powering home from Alexis Mac Allister’s corner But Liverpool's hopes of averting only their third league defeat of the season faded deep into stoppage time, when Palmer slotted home from the spot after Quansah felled Moises Caicedo Seeking a third straight Premier League win, Enzo Maresca named an unchanged starting XI for the first time since November, against Manchester United After giving the new champions a "Guard of Honour", the Blues’ confidence was evident as they were quick out of the blocks and soon ahead through Fernandez. Timed at two minutes and 47 seconds, it was their earliest league goal since Antonio Rudiger netted just 14 seconds earlier against Stoke City in December 2017 they eventually gained breathing space through Quansah’s own goal The hosts’ concentration levels were tested as Liverpool increased the pressure in search for a way back into the game Chelsea never really looked like surrendering it and put the contest to bed with virtually the last kick of the game as Palmer capped a fine individual performance by ending his 18-match goal drought Attention now turns to the second leg of the Conference League semi-final against Djurgarden, before their Champions League qualification quest resumes at St James’ Park against top-five rivals Newcastle United Fresh from securing their second Premier League title last weekend, Arne Slot’s much-changed side received a guard of honour as they made their way onto the Stamford Bridge turf We explain history behind the guard of honour as the 2024/25 title-winners receive one at Stamford Bridge There were six alterations in all and the Reds were slow to settle with Chelsea punishing them by striking inside just three minutes Liverpool struggled to generate a decent attacking threat over the remainder of the first half Slot’s side were much-improved after falling 2-0 behind, with Van Dijk and Darwin Nunez off target from headers Their pressure eventually told when Van Dijk made no mistake five minutes from time it was too late to avert a third defeat in four visits to London A disappointing afternoon for Quansah continued when he caught Caicedo late allowing Palmer to seal the points for the hosts Slot will be eager for his side to finish the season with improvement, starting next weekend against second-place Arsenal at Anfield Chelsea report | Liverpool report Enzo Maresca: "Very important three points, especially at this stage in the season. We planned the game to be aggressive, playing the way we want and they forced us to use a different plan. The players adapted quite well. For the amount of chances that we created, we deserved to win the game. Chelsea has to fight for Champions League and hopefully in the future we can fight for something more important. In this moment we are there and hopefully we can finish there." Arne Slot: "For many things I didn't see a drop off. Today, we could see why we have won this league - we brought the ball out from the back really well. We came back after being 2-0 down and we didn't give up, but I have said before margins are small. In some moments a few percentages were not there." Liverpool are only the fourth team to lose their first league match after they were crowned Premier League champions after Arsenal in 1997/98 (vs Liverpool), Chelsea in 2005/06 (vs Blackburn) and the Reds themselves in 2019/20 (vs Manchester City). Chelsea recorded a victory over Liverpool for the first time since March 2021, ending a run of 10 matches without a win against the Reds in all competitions (D7 L3). Only John Terry (19) and Dion Dublin (14) have scored more headed goals from corners in Premier League history than Van Dijk (13). The Liverpool captain is the top scoring defender in the competition since his first full season with the Reds in 2018/19 (21). Palmer ended a run of 1,162 minutes without a goal in the Premier League – he had the most shots (5), created the most chances (4), made the joint-most passes ending in the final third (13), and had the joint-most touches in the opposition box (8) of any Chelsea player in today’s win over Liverpool. Michael Owen and Steve Cooper discuss the top-five race and who they think will be in the competition next season Your entry has been submitted successfully. You have already submitted an entry. Please check your email for further information. Nottingham Forest have won just one of their past five Premier League matches Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has said the race to secure a Champions League place will go "all the way" this season After their top-five hopes suffered a blow in a defeat by Brentford on Thursday Forest dropped more points on Monday in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace Forest failed to move level on points with Newcastle and Chelsea - in fourth and fifth respectively - but Nuno is confident his side can catch up It's for sure [going to go] all the way," Nuno told Sky Sports A top-five finish remains in Forest's hands with favourable fixtures against relegated Leicester and 17th-placed West Ham before a potentially decisive meeting with Chelsea at the City Ground on 25 May "This last few games are going to be like this everybody is fighting for something," Nuno added on BBC Match of the Day "It's up to us to react and read the moments of the game better and make better decisions playing with all this noise around us so the boys can settle down again and play." Opta are less positive on Forest's prospects with the stats experts predicting Newcastle and Chelsea will finish above Nuno's team while Arsenal and Manchester City are expected to occupy second and third Just four points separate Manchester City in third place from Aston Villa in seventh with the Premier League's top five guaranteed a spot in the Champions League next season There will be at least eight Premier league teams competing in Europe next season - up from the usual seven - but things could change in the final weeks of the campaign Twelfth-placed Crystal Palace, who beat Villa in the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend could still end up qualifying for Europe by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final this month BBC Sport looks at how many teams could qualify for each of the continental competitions: the Champions League Forest still in top-five race after draw at Palace Liverpool: Arsenal (H); Brighton (A); Crystal Palace (H) Arsenal: Liverpool (A); Newcastle (H); Southampton (A) Newcastle: Chelsea (H); Arsenal (A); Everton (H) Nottingham Forest: Leicester (H); West Ham (A); Chelsea (H) Manchester City: Southampton (A); Bournemouth (H); Fulham (A) Chelsea: Newcastle (A); Manchester United (H); Nottingham Forest (A) Aston Villa: Bournemouth (A); Tottenham (H); Manchester United (A) Bournemouth: Aston Villa (H); Manchester City (A); Leicester (H) Brentford: Ipswich (A); Fulham (H); Wolves (A) Brighton: Wolves (A); Liverpool (H); Tottenham (A) Fulham: Everton (H); Brentford (A); Manchester City (H) Follow your Premier League club and get news Depending on how things pan out this season there will be between eight and 11 teams from the Premier League taking part in Europe next season At least five of those will be in the Champions League because of England's improved performance in Uefa's coefficient rankings That number could rise to six should Arsenal win the Champions League and finish outside the top five - an unlikely prospect - or even seven if that happens and Manchester United or Tottenham win the Europa League Man Utd and Spurs both stole a march on their opponents in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final ties beating Athletic Club 3-0 and Bodo/Glimt 3-1 respectively How many teams could qualify for the Europa League?The maximum of three Premier League teams could be competing in the Europa League next season Two places will likely go to the team who finish sixth and the FA Cup winners if the cup winners have already secured a European place it will then go to the next highest placed side who have not qualified for Europe A third place could be awarded if Chelsea win the Conference League and fail to qualify for the Champions League The Blues' hopes of lifting that trophy were boosted on Thursday thanks to a 4-1 win at Djurgarden in the first-leg of their semi-final What about the Conference League?There will be one Conference League place awarded to a Premier League team As things stand that will go to Carabao Cup winners Newcastle but that could change if Eddie Howe's side qualify for the Champions League or the Europa League As Newcastle currently sit inside the top four Even a ninth or 10th-place finish could realistically be enough to secure a spot in next season's Conference League It would require Arsenal to win the Champions League Manchester United or Tottenham to win the Europa League and Chelsea to lift the Conference League trophy and all three winners to finish outside the top six Arsenal are second in the Premier League and unlikely to finish outside the top five Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast Get football news sent straight to your phone Who will qualify for the Champions League as Forest draw at Palace Is the risk that Mercedes took with Antonelli paying off Alexander-Arnold leaves as modern Liverpool great - but fans will feel hurt 'Scheffler and DeChambeau wins further raise US PGA excitement levels' Solskjaer on Besiktas Having defeated Everton at Stamford Bridge last week the second of our double-header against Merseyside opposition sees Arne Slot's Liverpool visit west London The Blues were edged out 2-1 in the reverse fixture at Anfield in early October. Nicolas Jackson struck for Chelsea that day and the Senegal international has rediscovered his goalscoring touch after netting against Everton and grabbing a brace in our Conference League semi-final first leg against Djurgarden European football remains on the mind for Liverpool's visit as the Blues continue in our quest to secure a top-five finish that would guarantee Champions League football for next season We head into the encounter at the Bridge unbeaten in five league outings and with the right results elsewhere this weekend a victory over the Reds could lift Maresca's side to fourth in the Premier League table with three matches to play this is the Blues’ sixth prime-time Sunday slot of the campaign and our first since the thrilling 4-3 victory at Tottenham in December The Blues head coach confirmed in his pre-match press conference that long-term absentees Marc Guiu and Aaron Anselmino remain unavailable for Liverpool's visit Robert Sanchez and Christopher Nkunku were both absent from the squad for our Conference League clash in Stockholm on Thursday and Maresca said both would be assessed ahead of tomorrow's encounter ‘Christo Nkunku has a small problem,' the Italian said on Thursday the medical staff will tell me how he is and what his status is ‘It is exactly the same for Robert Sanchez too although he is working on the pitch so compared to Christo He wasn’t with us in Sweden either and we will see and assess them both before Sunday.’ Matches between Chelsea and Liverpool at this stage of the season are often loaded with importance beyond the perennially fierce rivalry Perhaps the most famous example came at Stamford Bridge on 11 May 2003 fourth ahead of the visiting Reds in fifth hosted an end-of-season Champions League qualification decider worth an estimated £20 million to the winners so Marcel Desailly's leveller from Jesper Gronkjær’s cross Gronkjær soon steered in Chelsea’s second and Steven Gerrard was cheered off after his second bookable offence in six second-half minutes Each side has formed a guard of honour for the other in recent years A week after Jose Mourinho steered the Londoners to a fifth Premier League crown the Reds applauded the new champions onto the pitch at the Bridge behind Anfield’s closed doors because of the lockdown the visiting Blues did the same for Jurgen Klopp’s side Chelsea’s current winless run of ten games against Liverpool is the longest since 11 between 1985 and 1990 a Chelsea victory broke that sequence at the Bridge in glorious fashion: two classic Kerry Dixon headers a Dennis Wise penalty and a well-worked fourth for Gordon Durie Former Blue David Speedie was among the visitors’ scorers in a famous 4-2 and Graeme Souness’s first defeat since returning to Anfield as manager ended the Reds’ hopes of pipping Arsenal to the league title Following last Saturday’s victory in which he gathered six Everton crosses Sanchez has the fourth-most high claims (39) in the Premier League season No player over the age of 27 has featured in any of Chelsea’s 34 Premier League matches so far The previous record was six matches in April/May 2000 by Liverpool Cobham graduate Reggie Walsh became the Blues’ third-youngest ever debutant when he came on as a substitute in the 4-1 win at Djurgarden on Thursday The Reds’ last league defeat in May was a 1-0 win for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2018 A guard of honour to applaud the English league champions onto the field was first performed by Manchester United for Ted Drake’s Chelsea at Old Trafford on 30 April 1955 Gary Neville reckons it won’t be long before Harry Kane is back in the Premier League with Chelsea and Liverpool looking for a striker this summer The England international left Tottenham in the summer of 2023 in search of his first trophy win after years of disappointment at Spurs But Kane was denied in his first season at Bayern Munich with the Bavarians failing to win the Bundesliga title for the first time in 12 campaigns Bayer Leverkusen were brilliant last term but Bayern could not be stopped this season as Xabi Alonso’s side’s 2-2 draw against Freiburg on Sunday confirmed Kane’s first every piece of silverware Kane has scored 60 goals in the Bundesliga in his first two seasons at Bayern Munich and Neville reckons clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea will be hoping he fancies a return to the Premier League in the summer Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast: “Harry Kane is one of the greatest strikers England has ever produced He’s a brilliant professional and I wish we were watching him in the Premier League every singe week “We miss him – his quality and class. You think of these two teams today (Chelsea and Liverpool) “Every team in the Premier League would Manchester City have Erling Haaland but some teams are really lacking a top centre-forward “Liverpool will be looking at a centre-forward Manchester United will be looking at a centre-forward Chelsea will be looking at a centre-forward “Arsenal we know are desperate for a centre-forward Neville was happy to see Kane finally end his trophy drought in Germany and the former Manchester United defender insists that the England striker deserves to enjoy his moment The former Premier League defender added: “To win the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich I know they’ve won a lot of Bundesligas and last season it became a situation where he was mocked for going over there and not winning… but he’ll be happy tonight “He’s someone that doesn’t get carried away by things like this – it’s what he expected – but he’ll feel a real warmth in the sense that he wanted to win trophies “It’s why he was edging towards wanting to go to City a few seasons ago because he was desperate to be part of a successful team “He’s England’s record goalscorer but he didn’t want to get to end of his career without having trophies and medals to show for it © Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved This is an exciting move and forms part of a major effort to clamp down on ticket touting and ensure fairer more secure access to tickets for our fans It will also provide a safe and convenient way for supporters to transfer tickets enhancing the ticketing experience as a whole From the beginning of the 2025/26 campaign digital tickets will be required for all home matches at Stamford Bridge women’s team and Academy games at that stadium Digital tickets will replace any physical cards paper issued tickets or print-at-home tickets used in previous seasons this means tickets will be managed through their Chelsea FC account and the Chelsea Official App fans can now already access their Chelsea FC general admission ticketing account and their Official Chelsea App account through one log-in drop-in sessions and more to ensure the transition to digital ticketing is as smooth as possible and everyone is able to take advantage of the benefits that digital ticketing will bring Click for more information on the introduction of CFC Digital Tickets and to have your questions answered We appreciate there will be exceptional circumstances in which some fans may not be able to access their tickets using a phone It is our ambition to help as many fans as possible transition to digital ticketing for an improved there will be an opportunity to request an exemption and all submissions will be considered on a case-by-case basis we continue to take proactive measures to clamp down on ticket touting tracking and implementing tough sanctions where necessary This season alone we have stopped over 1000 people with touted tickets coming into the stadium cancelled 2000 membership accounts linked to touts and arrested multiple individuals following police operations on matchdays Moving to digital tickets is a vital next step on this journey to tackle ticket touting providing better visibility of ticket authenticity for the club and peace of mind for our fans digital ticketing will improve fan experience and convenience with digital ticketing providing the flexibility for you to transfer tickets safely to those set up in the Friends and Family list in your account We are making the switch from the beginning of the 25/26 season – ahead of the Premier League’s mandated deadline – to double down on our efforts to tackle the touts and give fans time to transition to digital with the support of the club Security – digital ticketing will make purchasing and sharing tickets more secure and will aid the club in identifying ticket touts through improved visibility Convenience – digital tickets will make ticket forwarding fairer and easier with fans able to send tickets to Friends and Family in just a few clicks digital tickets will enable quicker entry into stands and a more personalised matchday experience with everything fans need all in one place Speaking about the introduction of digital ticketing a Chelsea FC spokesperson said: ‘This is an exciting transition for Chelsea FC that will yield multiple benefits and opportunities for our fans down the line Most importantly it is another step on our journey to clamp down on the ticket touts Switching to digital ticketing is a major step in ensuring a fairer more secure ticketing experience and will help to put real tickets in the hands of real fans ‘As a club we strive to provide the best service and best experience for our fans and moving to digital tickets will be a crucial part of improving fan experience and giving you the peace of mind you deserve.’ Click for more details on Chelsea accounts Click for more information on or to download the Chelsea Official App Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano says there is a “clear feeling” that Christopher Nkunku will “leave Chelsea in the summer transfer window.” Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that Nkunku was a genuine candidate to leave in January However, a move never came close due to Chelsea’s reluctance to accept a loan and the player’s preference for a permanent deal “There was a possibility for Christopher Nkunku to go on a permanent transfer in January,” Romano said “Then all the approaches were for a loan deal Romano also revealed that Man Utd, managed by Ruben Amorim explored a potential swap deal during the winter window “There was some interest from Bayern in January With Chelsea now under Enzo Maresca and preparing for another summer overhaul Romano believes there’s now a clear path for Nkunku to depart Surprise reports linking him with a move to champions Liverpool emerged last week. “The story for Christopher Nkunku will be different [this summer]… the clear feeling of all parties involved is for Christopher Nkunku to leave Chelsea in the summer transfer window,” he said who joined from RB Leipzig in 2023 for over £50m has struggled to find form or fitness since arriving in West London Having missed large chunks of his first season at the club the Frenchman has struggled to find regular minutes this term scoring just three goals in 27 Premier League appearances “Nkunku is not finding the space he wants,” Romano explained Nkunku is not exactly the kind of player needed for Enzo Maresca’s vision and idea Romano also confirmed Nkunku has picked up yet another injury and will miss the next 10 to 15 days further fuelling expectations of a summer exit “My expectation is not to see Christopher Nkunku in a Chelsea shirt next season “I told you that in March and in April Chelsea are understood to be open to offers and would prefer a permanent transfer over another season of uncertainty Italy and Spain are also said to be monitoring the situation It remains to be seen if Utd are open to returning for Nkunku when the window opens on June 1 but their January preference for a swap deal hints at the financial restrictions the club may have to work around Jonathan Wilson and Dan Bardell as Chelsea secure a vital win over Liverpool in the race for Champions League football next season On the podcast today; Chelsea inflict a third defeat of the season on Liverpool to help them in the race for fifth place Cole Palmer returning to form and Roméo Lavia back in the centre might just be enough to get them over the line Arsenal field a strong side and lose to Bournemouth Manchester United and Spurs opt to heavily rotate in their games against Brentford and West Ham respectively before Europa League games on Thursday night final day across the EFL and your questions answered Support the Guardian here You can also find Football Weekly on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Attacker was a captive spirit on the right and he delivered unprescribed moments of quality despite Maresca’s rigid system With 84 minutes gone at Stamford Bridge Cole Palmer did something off-grid skittering past Conor Bradley near the corner flag veering inside with that surprising gangly turn of speed and shooting from a fine angle and going inside Alisson as he came for the cross The ball curved away just enough to hit the post and bounce away from goal. Chelsea were 2-0 up at the time. Maybe he won’t get told off too much. two minutes into stoppage time Chelsea were awarded a penalty including Robert Sánchez who ran the length of the pitch just to make it quite clear this was also about him It was Palmer’s first goal since 14 January his first in 19 games to go with two assists in that time Chelsea have been on an upturn in results in the last few weeks But this is clearly not the greatest use of Cole Palmer and another note in the lingering bad taste around this place at times even have a full-back whose name translates as “Bad Taste”) In his TV interview after the game Palmer talked about the “idiots and trolls” of social media remains an unanswered theme of Enzo Maresca’s management This was an excellent afternoon for Chelsea. Victory makes it four in a row at just the right time They still need to go to Newcastle and Nottingham Forest but look in a good position not to be standing when the music stops Perhaps the stars are even aligning a little The Club World Cup is already a massive windfall Chelsea will get £70m or so just for getting through the group stage Chuck in £100m-odd from Uefa just for finishing in the top six Chelsea can earn a huge amount this season for not doing very much very well They were lucky here to come up against a Liverpool team that was basically half asleep At times it felt like there were three entities on the pitch Liverpool pretending to be Liverpool for the day This mannered Chelsea team playing to save its mannered season even if watching him in this Chelsea team can feel a bit like watching Salvador Dalí pretend to be an accountant and all the while secretly painting a cup of fur under his desk John Kerry was in the very expensive seats the 81-year-old one-time US secretary of state watching on as a sputtering superpower with a confused sense of mission tried to assert itself on the world and yes insert your own home-from-home punchline here Cole Palmer celebrates after ending his goal drought Photograph: Robin Jones/Getty ImagesChelsea scored with three minutes gone the move made by Palmer’s swift pass out to Pedro Neto whose cross was expertly finished by Enzo Fernández And from the start Palmer played a little deeper on the right than you might have wanted him At times he had to cover at right-back for Moisés Caicedo as he wandered infield Half an hour in he received a rolling wave of applause for chasing Cody Gakpo back towards his own goal allowing it to breathe in a suffocating positional game Palmer has looked like a ghost in the machine given he is the only player in this team anywhere near his type and quality For long periods his entire game was curling a pass into the run of Nicolas Jackson and watching as a kind of random ricochet ball took place But Palmer made Chelsea’s second goal by doing another unusual thing easing away from Kostas Tsimikas and crossing into a messy penalty area where the ball was hacked and scuffed and blootered about until eventually it went in off Jarell Quansah Darwin Núñez came on and bullocked about like a riderless horse in a jumps race Roméo Lavia was excellent in the Chelsea midfield And by the end Stamford Bridge was a happy place able to sustain at all times that air of long-suffering calm every disappointment is just another masterful feint in the unknowable masterplan of Enzo Maresca Then hire a systems manager who will turns them into units of telematic flesh Digital Sports ReporterPublished: Invalid Date CHELSEA star Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall caused confusion among fans for his outfit of choice at the club's glitzy end of season awards After beating champions Liverpool 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon, Chelsea hosted their club awards at London's Grosvenor House in the evening Women's and Academy teams saw many stars turn on the glam as they arrived in sharp looking suits and dresses Moises Caicedo picked up both the Men's Players' Player of the Season and Men's Player of the Season award, while Tyrique George won the Men's Academy Player of the Season gong The midfielder was seen in a snazzy blazer and white shirt combo while exciting forward George sported black on black with a suit and blazer duo Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, Enzo Fernandez, Reece James, Marc Cucurella and Trevoh Chalobah were among the numerous others who wore blazers and shirts to the event with some adding ties and bow-ties as well appeared to be the exception as he stunned fans with his more low-key look on the blue carpet The 26-year-old was seen wearing a dark blue buttoned up shirt with a white top underneath which he paired with matching dark blue trousers and a pair of black shoes with a white sole Reacting on social media, one fan took a screenshot of a Chelsea social media post on Instagram and simply posted: "??" with it A second said: "Man thought they were going to grab a beer." A third added: "Bro is the janitor." A fourth said: "Tried to be cute with the blue but it's the WRONG shade." A fifth wrote: "Literally me when my parents force me to go a family event." Another replied with a pair of crying emojis before they said: "You guys are hurting him." A seventh added: "Well this fit is better than most of the suits some wore just that this is a bad picture." Another fan commented: "He didn't have a suit," to which another replied: "Chels don't pay him enough." Chelsea celebrated their End of Season awards at London's Grosvenor House on Sunday Men's Player of the Season - Moises Caicedo Women’s Player of the Season - Erin Cuthbert Men's Players' Player of the Season - Moises Caicedo Women’s Players' Player of the Season - Nathalie Bjorn Men’s Academy Player of the Season - Tyrique George Women’s Academy Player of the Season - Lola Brown PFA Community Champions - Millie Bright and Marcus Bettinelli Dewsbury-Hall signed a six-year deal when joining the Blues last summer and earns a tidy £80,000 a week, although this is in the middle range of the club's wage structure under Todd Boehly's ownership The top earner at the club currently is James which was one of the first new contracts handed out under the BlueCo regime to a player not signed that summer Dewsbury-Hall has been limited to just 12 Premier League appearances this season, although more than half of his minutes have come from 11 games in the Europa Conference League He is yet to miss a start in the competition scoring three goals -including a last-16 second leg winner over Copenhagen - and adding two assists A 4-1 win over Swedish side Djurgarden in the semi-final first leg put Chelsea on course to reach the final of the competition in Wroclaw, Poland, on May 28 where they will play one of Real Betis or Fiorentina Win a trip to the UEFA Conference League Final in Wroclaw with Hankook Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson insists the Reds need to “replace” Kostas Tsimikas in the summer transfer window after his performance against Chelsea Liverpool have had a brilliant season in the Premier League with Arne Slot leading them to the Premier League title in his first campaign The Reds beat Tottenham 5-1 eight days ago to secure their 20th English top-flight title with four matches to spare Liverpool were beaten 3-1 on Sunday at Stamford Bridge by Chelsea with the Reds giving players who haven’t had loads of minutes this season Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to leave in the summer transfer window to Real Madrid and when asked about Liverpool’s imminent problems at full-back Johnson told Premier League Productions: “The door looks open for Trent [Alexander-Arnold] to depart but that’s less of a problem with (Conor) Bradley coming through looked sharp and he was a threat – he almost created two chances in the first few minutes of coming on So he could be a massive player for Liverpool I thought Tsimikas really struggled – it wasn’t his best game There were a lot of Liverpool players that were under par by their standards but I definitely think they need to sort out the left-back side.” Johnson continued: “You always have to stay in front of the game They are champions and the best team in the league “They need to get some players in to improve them next season because you can’t rest on your laurels.” Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen agrees with Johnson about the Reds needing a new left-back Owen added: “Left-back I think Liverpool are going to invest (Milos) Kerkez everyone is talking about from Bournemouth That’s £50-60million they are going to invest “If Darwin Nunez or Jota leaves you could argue they’ll get an attacker to replace them and you’ll have to spend decent money there But that’s only two positions and then you just need cover.” Liverpool boss Slot has also admitted that the Reds could need reinforcements to “bring fresh energy” he said: “It’s already a big summer because we extended Virgil [van Dijk] and Mo [Salah] and for large parts of the season I’ve said already that I am happy with the squad we have “We will see what the summer brings but sometimes it can be good to bring fresh energy “It has already been a good summer and we won the league Only if we see someone on the market who can improve us.” READ NEXT: Ex-Liverpool star Owen insists only two sides can win the Premier League title next season BBC Sport women’s football news reporter at Leigh Sports VillagePublished1 May 2025466 CommentsWhen former manager Emma Hayes announced her departure from Chelsea a seed of doubt was planted - was this the end of their dominance Who could possibly replace the woman who had led them to five successive Women's Super League titles and 14 major trophies in 12 years an invitation for their rivals and a new challenge for Chelsea to navigate when celebrations broke out at Leigh Sports Village after Chelsea's 1-0 win over Manchester United confirmed them as league champions again Hayes' successor Sonia Bompastor turned around then unwrapped a flag to give to her players to celebrate with The ease in which she has taken on Hayes' legacy has been just as impressive as Chelsea's unbeaten run and will only strike fear into those hoping to topple them WSL highlights: Manchester United 0-1 Chelsea There was an air of inevitability as Chelsea rocked up in Manchester on Wednesday night To say they were preparing to win their sixth successive WSL title would be wrong Bompastor admitted they had not entertained the idea that Arsenal would drop points at Aston Villa still bruised from their Champions League semi-final humiliation on Sunday and keen to put it right When word of Arsenal's 5-2 defeat at Aston Villa eventually spread through the stands at Leigh Sports Village acting as if they had no indication what was happening elsewhere It was a stark contrast to the outpouring of emotion that came from the stands 90 minutes later when they were crowned champions again Supporters were so sure of victory when Lucy Bronze headed in the game's only goal in the 74th minute left it late to break the deadlock but did what needed to be done even when they were not playing their best "Mentality monsters" has been their tag in recent times and they leant on that numerous times again this season 33% of them came in the final 15 minutes of matches - more than any other WSL team They also picked up eight points after coming from behind in games - only Manchester City have earned more from losing positions it was always Chelsea's title to lose - they had won the previous five WSL trophies had the biggest budget in the league and invested further in the transfer window Their spending has been unmatched - but that is why they are champions Chelsea recruited one of the best coaches in Europe snatching Bompastor from French giants Lyon When they were pushed to the brink last season by Manchester City winning their fifth successive title on goal difference they responded by signing Champions League winners Bronze and Keira Walsh from Barcelona They bounced back from a defeat at Manchester City in the Champions League to beat them days later in the league and scored a stoppage-time winner against Liverpool to book their place in the Women's FA Cup final They have built a squad capable of challenging on all domestic fronts and they remain on course to win the Treble this season Is the gap widening between Chelsea and everybody else in the WSL Their points tally and unbeaten season suggests it is Arsenal and Manchester United showed their credentials in spells But the difference has always been that Chelsea still win when they are vulnerable Chelsea secure sixth successive WSL title at Man Utd The numbers behind Chelsea's latest WSL title Chelsea eye records after sealing another title Bompastor - proud of WSL title winners Chelsea Chelsea's mentality has played a "massive part" in their success but her leadership is another key component Bompastor has always remained calm and never looked out of place As Liverpool's men celebrated lifting the Premier League trophy just days before - Arne Slot triumphing in the glory of Jurgen Klopp's well-laid foundations - similarities could be seen in Bompastor and Hayes The Frenchwoman arrived in London knowing she had a squad full of talent 'Perfection' and 'the ideal' are words Bompastor has used consistently throughout the season but she knows that will take time she spoke about craving perfection and wanting to develop a true identity next season she can have no complaints about their success in England even if the disappointment of their Champions League exit weighs heavily Bompastor has made tactical tweaks - encouraging more possession a more aggressive press and a less direct approach on the ball turned winger Sandy Baltimore into a full-back and given responsibility to 19-year-old midfielder Wieke Kaptein Perhaps the biggest contrast to the Hayes' era is Bompastor's personality kept people on their toes and used her platform to challenge norms - Bompastor is sometimes understated Her title celebrations appeared to be subdued she is a "simple person" and will enjoy precious moments with family back in London A "little bit" of champage and some chocolate may be on the cards but Bompastor already has her eye on the Treble She was conscious of her achievements but humble enough to acknowledge Hayes' involvement taking time to thank her in her post-match media conference It was a mark of respect as Bompastor began not only reflecting on Chelsea's past achievements but on what could still come in the future This may be the first title win under Bompastor but if this is a far cry from the perfection she craves View comments | 466Top storiesHis stats are better New Premier League champions Liverpool were given a "guard of honour" by Chelsea on Sunday in the Reds' first match since winning the 2024/25 title A guard of honour is the informal ceremony that takes place when a team plays a match after already securing the Premier League title The players of the winning club - in this case Liverpool - walk between two parallel lines of opposition players who stand and applaud A guard of honour can take place regardless of whether the champions are playing at home or away There is no obligation or anything in the regulations that requires Premier League teams to provide a guard of honour It is purely a voluntary show of respect for the achievements of their fellow professionals at another club The only time that the tradition was slightly different came when Liverpool won the 2019/20 Premier League title with seven matches to spare during the pandemic-hit season, with all games played behind closed doors. Each of Liverpool’s last seven opponents gave Jurgen Klopp's side a guard of honour Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United team are thought to be the first Premier League side to receive a guard of honour, at Goodison Park in May 2003. It was offered by their opponents Everton as the Red Devils had already been confirmed as champions prior to the match There have been 11 subsequent seasons when a guard of honour has taken place – with some champions enjoying the accolade on multiple occasions. Leicester City were provided with one by both Everton and Chelsea in the final matches of the Foxes' fairytale 2015/16 title-winning campaign Manchester City walked out to a guard of honour four times following their 2017/18 title success gave Liverpool a guard of honour in that campaign There have been some highly memorable – and sometimes awkward – guards of honour over the years In 2004/05, Man Utd, champions in the previous season, applauded Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea on to the pitch following their first-ever Premier League title success There was little love lost between these two rivals and to rub salt into the wounds Chelsea came from behind to win the match 3-1 at Old Trafford but there were boos aplenty from the home fans the Dutchman scored a penalty for Man Utd to secure a 1-1 draw 2003 - Everton for Man Utd2005 - Man Utd for Chelsea’s first Premier League title 2007 - Chelsea for Man Utd2011 - Blackpool for Man Utd2013 - Arsenal for Man Utd 2015 - Liverpool for Chelsea 2016 - Everton and Chelsea for Leicester 2017 - Watford and Sunderland for Chelsea 2018 - Swansea Huddersfield and Brighton for Man City 2020 - Man City Chelsea and Newcastle for Liverpool 2021 - Newcastle and Everton for Man City 2023 - Chelsea for Man City While a guard of honour is usually reserved for Premier League champions there have been rare occasions when individuals have been honoured this way after bringing the curtain down on a glittering career at Old Trafford on his last home match in charge of Liverpool in 2024 On the playing side, both Chelsea and Sunderland gave the Blues’ captain John Terry a guard of honour to mark his final game for the club in 2017 before joining Aston Villa Chelsea then gave him a second guard of honour in the middle of the match itself when he was subbed off after 26 minutes Your entry has been submitted successfully Please check your email for further information The Blues head coach admitted in her pre-match press conference that after the title was claimed in midweek in Manchester she was considering resting several players who have featured in most of our matches this term It has resulted in Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze being left out of the squad this afternoon with Bompastor naming an unfamiliar back four for today's game Hannah Hampton remains in goal and will be protected by Ashley Lawrence, Sjoeke Nusken, Maelys Mpome and Guro Reiten Oriane Jean-Francois will sit in midfield behind an attacking front five of Maika Hamano, Erin Cuthbert, Catarina Macario, Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd. Mia Fishel leads the line as she continues her journey back to full fitness after injury Come see the WSL champions get crowned at Stamford Bridge! Get your tickets now for Chelsea Women vs Liverpool Women on 10 May by clicking here with tickets starting at £15 for adults and £7.50 for concessions Liverpool gifting the win to Chelsea could have long-term consequences And the Blues are nothing but the new Spurs Send your mails to theeditor@football365.com They do realise Chelsea with Champions League next season are going to be targeting the players they will be after Have 7 substandard goal keepers and your best one out on loan … Have a player clearly should be playing at a bigger club…. Wait til the offers come and that pesky PSR must profit on English players dilemma comes in … Have fans who think they are a big club… Check Have a manager who gets carried away at beating a big club …… Check Have an average winger who cups his ears at away fans despite being Second prize if you thought I was talking about Arsenal READ: 16 Conclusions on Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool: Brilliant Cole Palmer exploits half-hearted Liverpool But the Newcastle v Chelsea game next Sunday became at least a £50million pointer – and could cost Maresca his job Elite teams win ties even with big matches looming Elite teams are capable of finding solutions that win matches through squad rotation Elite teams don’t have to use emotions to channel their focus Elite teams don’t need to wave their arms and gee up their fans at every throw in Elite teams don’t drop points in 44% of their home matches I feel like I’m going mad that anyone can consider Bournemouth’s winning goal as anything other than handball under the current rules A ball bouncing in an upwards trajectory towards a players hip/stomach/elbow area as he’s leaning back (being pushed back) and then takes a sudden downward trajectory after it hits him Literally the only way this can happen is by it hitting his elbow but even if you want to be obtuse and argue that (hello Jamie completely unbiased Redknapp) then you can just use basic knowledge of how physics of a moving ball works In a sea of frankly embarrassing referee and var decisions all season that has to be right up near the top and another one of those that seems reserved especially for Arsenal It feels like there can be a really poor decision and var can say I think 99.9% you’ve got that wrong but because I can’t rule out the 0.1% chance that I’m wrong I won’t overturn it but they will also get a few that go their way Even if you subscribe to the view that all decisions have so much subjectivity around them these things are 50/50 then how have Arsenal had 10+ of these 50/50 decisions and every single one go against us Genuine question – have Arsenal had any game defining subjective 50/50 decision to in their favour all season in the league I wonder how long before INEOS pull the plug on him will they repeat the trick like they did last October with Ten Hag and summer transfers But back to Amorim as he shows no sings of learning the way teams play in Premier League 5 at back and low block for every game since he arrived and they are still leaking goals (This is the Premier League table since Ruben Amorim was appointed; I don’t think he would have relegated them – Ed) I’m aware that anything you publish in the Mailbox is your property This is my explicit permission to publish anything I post under that name in whatever format you choose nail down the “I presumes” and still publish it for free (in this case All the recent Mailbox entries about broadcast commentary and punditry have made it clear that I don’t understand how most of the members of this forum experience the sport I don’t really even understand who’s providing what coverage of what competition in England I’ll try to describe what I see in the US and other US fans will no doubt fill in gaps Also: I’m talking studio/pitch-side work not match commentary (another can of worms; NBC features Graeme Le Saux I get my EPL coverage from NBC and subsidiary networks like USA and – on the final day of the season – Golf Channel and the Food Network or whatever and as many as six matches a weekend are available with basic cable The balance of coverage is handled by Peacock which lets me see every EPL match (and replays) with no blackouts Some matches see the US studio team broadcasting from a ground hosting a big match Rebecca Lowe swings between anchoring Premier League coverage for NBC in the US alongside Tim Howard and Robbies Earle and Mustoe and covering the Kentucky Derby and occasional English-market specific events so it’s always been clear that we in the US aren’t getting the same product that you do in England the crew broadcast from Churchill Downs before the Kentucky Derby disappeared from the NBC broadcast to do something for…Sky If you folks around the world see any of these NBC broadcasters even if NBC’s version of deep reporting is having a dude hold English sports-page headlines up to his webcam The Robbies are personable and solid and have real authority but evidently not enough for Sky or the Beeb CBS/Paramount+ has the rights to broadcast Champions League coverage This is the crew featuring Micah Richards and Thierry Henry I don’t know whether that’s from Sky or BBC I had a soft spot for Richards as a player but find him positively insulting doing football coverage He’s the guy that all the Ferdinand complaints make me think of the otherwise excellent Henry’s contempt for Richards seems to show I generally dislike their material because of the weird primate-dominance and/or sexist vibes I’ve seen it achieve You have to sub to Paramount+ to get all of this stuff Almost everything utter MAGA clown Alexei Lalas says reveals ignorance and overconfidence (yeah I remember how you couldn’t make it in Europe) and the rest of the crew — mostly former male & female US pros who do have a clue — don’t have a chance Fox did not acknowledge the human rights violations associated with the Qatar World Cup even once in their coverage I get access to ESPN/ESPN+ coverage of the FA Cup big European leagues and most international football (also NHL) through my subscription to Disney+ Its football coverage feels more low-rent than other networks* and I don’t know how much of it folks in the UK get but I suspect the rest of the world gets a lot Adrian Healey and Kay Murray in the UK and Craig Burley Those last are two of my favorite keepers ever Roy Keane and Rio Ferdinand (those last two both pretty awful and Shearer isn’t exactly brilliant except when celebrating NUFC cup wins) on Youtube I’m seldom sure whether it’s Sky or BBC coverage because more TV people on that side of the pond seem to have regular radio and podcast gigs on what might be competing networks I don’t have instant recognition for anybody but former players amongst that cast/those casts We really haven’t gotten the Amazon presence in the US though of course they did feature the NUFC documentary/marketing exercise I didn’t even know that until I started writing this I sometimes have Spanish-language broadcasts via YouTube TV playin while I do something else but have little familiarity with the broadcasters shown in the US beyond Andres Cantor Telemundo and Universo broadcast EPL matches and studio “headquarters” programs One of the Spanish-language networks — Telemundo — has the EPL and often airs La Liga and Liga MX The EFL Championship used to be on FuboTV; I think ESPN has it now And I know there’s an entire ecosystem based on VPNs that I would have clung to like a mother had it existed a quarter century ago when I got like one EPL match a week via ESPN You could see more Aussie-rules football than soccer back then I can watch virtually any match from international level to Australian or African national leagues without resorting to piracy Three-sided five-a-side football on a circular pitch with three goals I walked to the kitchen and washed four steel tumblers and (almost) a spoon before Isak actually took it but I’m focused on this one: what were they looking for The penalty was naked-eye obvious and the handball clearly intentional so that wasn’t what they were looking at I’m not tryna blame the officials for Newcastle’s draw today and Hürzeler consistently puts out sides that disrupt our play effectively they beat us at home on my only trip to SJP Palmer had gone 18 matches without a goal before he found the scoresheet in strong performance against Liverpool Gary Neville compared Cole Palmer to Cristiano Ronaldo after the Chelsea star made a long-awaited return to the scoresheet Palmer ended an 18-match run without a goal as he scored a late penalty in the Blues’ 3-1 over champions Liverpool on Sunday keeping them firmly in the hunt for a place in next season’s Champions League The 22-year-old also hit the post and played a role in Chelsea’s first two goals in a starring display, and Palmer said after the match that he “felt like himself” again. Neville was effusive in his praise for Palmer going as far as making comparisons with Ronaldo’s ability to impact a game but I'm going to put him in the same sentence here from a point of view of a principal,” Neville said “Cristiano used to go and play at that point where the team were weakest and most vulnerable I think Cole Palmer has earned the credit and the ability that he’s got to put himself in that category A real outstanding talent and someone who Chelsea are going to build around.” Before his penalty to seal victory over Liverpool Palmer’s last goal had come on January 14 against Bournemouth and he also only contributed two assists during that barren three-and-a-half month run Chelsea clicking back into gear as Palmer factor raises top-five hopes Caicedo wins two awards at ceremony as Chelsea teenager picks up prize he has still scored at least five more Premier League goals than any other Chelsea player this season with Nicolas Jackson the only other member of Enzo Maresca’s squad to make it into double figures in the league but that’s just natural in any forward’s career,” Neville said of Palmer’s goal drought “He’s got 15 Premier League goals this season - that’s an outstanding return If the others were contributing at the levels he is Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku’s desire to leave Stamford Bridge has been confirmed amid interest from a new Bundesliga club while the Blues have also shortlisted three attackers Nkunku has managed 14 goals and five assists in 42 appearances for Chelsea this term While that sounds like a fairly good record the French striker has been left frustrated by his lack of minutes in the Premier League Only three of Nkunku’s 14 goals this season have come in the Premier League as he is behind the likes of Cole Palmer Nicolas Jackson and Jadon Sancho in Enzo Maresca’s plans Indeed, Nkunku has not managed more than 45 minutes in a league game since March 16 with the Europa Conference League being his main source of starts and goals The 27-year-old would ideally like to play as a No 10 behind Jackson though he has little chance of displacing Palmer Nkunku is determined to secure an exit over the summer Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has revealed there is ‘no doubt’ the player will move on from Stamford Bridge before next season Nkunku ‘has decided to leave Chelsea this summer’ and talks over his future are ‘ongoing’ has also spoken about the attacker’s impending exit on his YouTube channel in April and now in May the clear feeling of all parties involved is for Nkunku to leave Chelsea in the summer transfer window,” he said Romano added: “My expectation is not to see Nkunku in a Chelsea shirt next season.” Chelsea in ‘talks’ to sign brilliant £42m Liverpool target Chelsea ‘approach’ Aston Villa for Ollie Watkins as dream deal crumbles – report TEAMtalk understands Bayer Leverkusen have recently joined the chase for Nkunku setting up a potential transfer battle with rivals Bayern Sources have confirmed to us that Arsenal are considering a move for Nkunku seeing him as a player who could thrive under Mikel Arteta’s guidance Barcelona are also in the frame, while Liverpool have held talks with Nkunku’s representatives Romano confirmed last week that Chelsea are monitoring Morgan Rogers in case Aston Villa have to sell the 22-year-old to comply with PSR rules Rogers’ versatility means he could both replace Nkunku and provide Maresca with an extra option on the wing Villa have been tipped to demand as much as £100m for Rogers as he has enjoyed a superb season though Chelsea will try to negotiate a lower price Chelsea’s ‘dream’ winger target is Athletic Club’s Nico Williams while they are also admirers of Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens Chelsea spent £52m to sign Nkunku from RB Leipzig in June 2023 after he had picked up the Bundesliga Player of the Season award in 2021-22 But Nkunku had an injury-hit debut season at Chelsea Nkunku was aiming to live up to that £52m transfer fee this campaign though Maresca clearly favours other players in attack 📌 Everton make stunning play to sign classy striker before Man Utd, Chelsea 📌 Man City gunning to steal ‘immense’ £75m star from Chelsea as surprise frontrunners named 📌 Brighton masterclass looms as ‘new Yaya Toure’ tracked, Chelsea also keen – sources Nicolas Jackson goals and Romeo Lavia return a positive but it is Palmer’s form that gives Chelsea best chance of securing top-five finish On the day that Liverpool celebrated their No20, Chelsea could At times in the past month or two, as his scoreless streak has stretched beyond a mere blip, Cole Palmer has looked a shadow of the player who was so unsustainably deadly across the first season-and-a-half of his Chelsea career But in the dying moments here at Stamford Bridge, his drought-ending penalty completed a near-perfect Chelsea afternoon: three vital points victory over the champions and the club's talisman back in the goals after 18 games without one Palmer's immediate post-match reaction made clear that criticism during the more recent part of that run has been irksome even as he claimed to be prolific in shutting out the noise “Social media these days is just full of idiots,” he told Sky Sports I’ve had it all my life growing up so I don’t really care David Beckham ‘feeling very lucky’ following 50th birthday celebrations “But obviously I feel pride in helping the team and if I’m not doing that I’m not happy.” Had Palmer not been afforded that chance from the spot by Jarrell Quansah’s trip on the tireless, surging Moises Caicedo you would still have said this performance was a step back in the right direction Helped by Liverpool’s adventurous approach and the spaces left by a more lightweight the 22-year-old had been more involved in Chelsea’s play and suited by the structure of a game that allowed the home side to attack quickly in transition He had played a creative hand in the second goal routing Kostas Tsimikas and crossing into the heart of the six-yard box from the byline on his weaker right foot Virgil van Dijk’s clearance cannoned into the luckless Quansah and in the drought had almost come to an end in open play Palmer tried an audacious finish through a sliver of grass between Alisson and the near post which was not quite kind enough to deflect the ball in It was not the attempt of a player lacking confidence though there is no doubt that in recent weeks Palmer’s previously unshakable belief in his own alien ability has slipped “Cole is that kind of player that he can do things no one expects,” Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said later “When he has the ball I expect anything because he can do anything." that Palmer found himself and still without having seen ball find net off his own being in getting on for four months he had been presented with the same chance only for Leicester’s Mads Hermansen to pull off a fairly routine save It was the first penalty miss of Palmer’s senior career So not quite the foregone conclusion and even less so in the split second when you saw Alisson dive the right way were his Chelsea team-mates that even Roberto Sanchez ran from the opposite goal to join the celebrations With Palmer back on the scoresheet, there is a feeling that the pieces of the Chelsea team that was so good in the first half of the season are clicking back into place just in time to keep their Champions League hopes alive. Only Wesley Fofana’s latest injury is now keeping Maresca from picking his first-choice XI and Trevoh Chalobah is proving a surprising success as his deputy. Nicolas Jackson is scoring again after his own dry spell. Noni Madueke is fit and flying, even playing in an unfamiliar role on the left flank. That is allowing Pedro Neto, finally, to play with regularity in his best position on the right. Most crucially of all, Romeo Lavia is available and dominating in midfield. “You can see that we are better team with Romeo,” Maresca said, after the Belgian’s superb display. Chelsea are only at their very best, though, when Palmer is, too. VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Lady Victoria Starmer Aston Villa may struggle to sign Marcus Rashford if they do not qualify for Champions League football and Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen has interest from multiple clubs France forward Christopher Nkunku, 27, has decided to leave Chelsea this summer. (Sky Sports Germany), external Ukrainian defender Oleksandr Zinchenko, 28, may leave Arsenal this summer with interest coming from Borussia Dortmund. (Football Insider), external American midfielder Weston McKennie, 26, has reached a verbal agreement with Juventus to stay at the club until 2028. (Fabrizio Romano, external) Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are among a number of clubs interested in signing 20-year-old Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen. (CaughtOffside, external) Aston Villa will struggle to sign England forward Marcus Rashford, 27, on a permanent deal from Manchester United if they do not qualify for the Champions League. (Football Insider), external Scouts from Aston Villa were in the crowd to watch Spain and Porto forward Samu Aghehowa, 20, amid interest in signing him this summer. (Record , externalvia Sports Witness, external) Everton are contemplating a deal to bring former striker Richarlison, 27, back to the club, with Tottenham Hotspur reportedly willing to accept a fee in the region of £40m. (GiveMeSport, external) Real Madrid are considering a summer move for Real Sociedad right-back Jon Aramburu, 22. (Fichajes - in Spanish, external) Leeds United have added AZ forward Troy Parrott, 23, to their striker shortlist following their promotion to the Premier League. (TeamTalk, external) Fiorentina are close to extending the contract of 20-year-old defender Pietro Comuzzo amid interest from Serie A rivals Napoli. (Tuttomercato - in Italian, external) Liverpool could make an extraordinary move for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, 24, with the Brazilian open to a move away from Spain. (GiveMeSport, external) Ajax are willing to sell Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato, with the 19-year-old garnering interest from clubs like Chelsea. (Kick-off podcast), external 116 CommentsWhen it comes to the Women's Super League Chelsea are playing against themselves as much as any other side A 1-0 victory at Manchester United on Wednesday night secured the Blues' sixth successive WSL crown and their first under new manager Sonia Bompastor Such regularity may have played a part in the rather muted celebrations at full-time - handshakes and hugs the holy grail for which Chelsea still search This title was secured three days after the Blues' attempts to win a first European title were ended, for the third successive season, by Barcelona - and, 8-2 on aggregate So how do Chelsea ensure this title win stands out among the six and that this season - which could end in a domestic treble of WSL League Cup and FA Cup - is somehow not categorised as a disappointment "We wanted to be unbeaten," Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze told Sky Sports after scoring the winner at Leigh Sports Village "The fortunate thing for us this season is that we have stayed unbeaten so we knew there were still two things to play for We knew before the game Arsenal had got beat and we knew what we needed "Although we have won the league tonight we have two games left and we want to win those too We want to be unbeaten for the whole season." Only in three previous completed seasons has the WSL been won by an unbeaten side - Arsenal in 2012 Manchester City in 2016 and Chelsea themselves in 2018 But it has never been done over the current format of a 22-game season If Chelsea avoid defeat against Tottenham next Sunday then at home to Liverpool on 10 May Bompastor will have to deal with the repercussions of such a disappointing Champions League exit - but registering perhaps the most comprehensive WSL title of all time will go some way to making up for it they will set a new WSL points record - beating their own tally of 58 in 2022-23 Victory in their remaining fixtures will make the Blues the first side to record 60 points in a campaign Sonia Bompastor has added the WSL title to the three French leagues she won with Lyon "I always look for perfection and the ideal," Bompastor told her post-match media conference at Leigh Sports Village "I told my players out of position and defensively I want to keep a clean sheet We spoke about how we managed the depth and how we needed to be compact Even when we win I am already focused on the treble and the other finals." Bompastor has become the first manager to lead a side to the WSL title in their maiden season since Laura Harvey took Arsenal to the top of the inaugural league in 2011 She admitted she had worried about the pressure when she made her much-vaunted move from Lyon to London and filling the shoes of predecessor Emma Hayes who she praised fulsomely after beating Man Utd "When you come to Chelsea everyone expects you to win the league," she said "It was the same in Lyon but here the competition is higher To be able to achieve it for six years in a row for Chelsea and in my first season "I heard some noise about the fact it is too easy for Chelsea but it is not I don't know how people can think that It's a great achievement and a lot of work every day I am sure she is really happy tonight with our title She left the club in a great place to build on the legacy." Chelsea have not always blown sides away this campaign - they have scored fewer goals than second-placed Arsenal while no player has netted double figures in the league Wednesday night encapsulated their league campaign and a very solid shout for a penalty before half-time when Millie Bright appeared to trip Grace Clinton Chelsea keeper Hannah Hampton made five saves and was named player of the match "Coming to this club I always wanted to achieve trophies," Hampton told the BBC "The fact that I can say that in the two seasons I have been here we have won the title both times it is surreal Chelsea's season now has three games to run - the two league fixtures then the FA Cup final against Manchester United To end it unbeaten domestically would be a remarkable achievement "It's what dreams are made of for Sonia Bompastor," former England defender Izzy Christiansen told Sky Sports the new players and the existing players that have done this before They don't care where they do it or how they do it as long as they do it." View comments | 116Top storiesHis stats are better Maresca rotated his squad for the Blues' trip to Djurgarden so it comes as no surprise to see several players return for this afternoon's clash at Stamford Bridge naming the same XI which beat Everton last weekend Robert Sanchez is back from injury in goal and Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill return in the heart of the defence. Marc Cucurella retains his place on the left, while Moises Caicedo is expected to begin at right-back once more That means Romeo Lavia is back in the XI after being left out of the trip to Sweden, alongside captain Enzo Fernandez, with Cole Palmer starting in the more advanced position Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke line up on the flanks, with Nicolas Jackson leading the line Make sure to get your predictions in for the game before kick-off! BBC Sport women’s football news reporter at Leigh Sports VillageChelsea secured a sixth successive Women's Super League title as Lucy Bronze's goal wrapped up victory over Manchester United An eruption of celebration broke out in the away end as the England international flicked a header past goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce all but confirming Chelsea's task was complete late in the second half manager Sonia Bompastor put aside the frustrations she had carried for much of the 90 minutes and fist-pumped towards her staff Players grabbed flags and banners afterwards sprinting to celebrate with their supporters in the far corner of the stadium familiar chants of "champions" ringing in their ears Their task had been clear even before kick-off as news of Arsenal's shock 5-2 defeat at Aston Villa had trickled through the stands earlier on Wednesday evening Chelsea knew a point was all they needed to wrap up the title but it was a nervy and uncertain evening in Manchester United did everything they could to disrupt and delay Chelsea's celebrations motivated by still needing three points to secure their place in next season's Champions League competition who remain unbeaten in the WSL this season dictating play and testing United's defence Mayra Ramirez tested Tullis-Joyce early on while Aggie Beever-Jones' curling strike was pushed away in the second half But United had the better chances in between Grace Clinton forced a superb block from Chelsea's world-record signing Naomi Girma and goalkeeper Hannah Hampton pulled off saves to deny Melvine Malard and Elisabeth Terland Substitute Terland squeezed a powerful shot inches over the bar later on as pressure increased on Chelsea but the champions found a way to win rose highest at a corner to deliver the winning moment and ensured Chelsea's dominance on English football rolls on It has been a brilliant start to Bompastor's tenure - the Frenchwoman carrying the baton on with ease and building on former manager Emma Hayes' legacy Chelsea can still win the Treble this season with an FA Cup final against Manchester United to come in May and the Women's League Cup trophy already in the bag Lucy Bronze joined Chelsea from Barcelona last summer Villa thrash Arsenal before Chelsea wrap up WSL title Just days after a humbling defeat in the Women's Champions League semi-finals at the hands of Barcelona They were not the best team on the day – far from it - and that has been the case often this season But it did not matter when they knew their fate was in their own hands Aston Villa had done them a favour with victory over Arsenal but Chelsea's job was far from done as an in-form Manchester United side stood in their way The home fans roared every time a United player was fouled they sang in retaliation to Chelsea supporters' chants about being champions and got to their feet when Hampton was forced into action However it did little to break into the minds of Chelsea's defence as centre-back Girma threw her body in front of Clinton's strike captain Millie Bright shouted and marshalled her backline and full-back Bronze delivered the winning moment It ends a WSL title race that has felt more like a stroll to the finish line with Chelsea wrapping up the trophy with two games to spare They will challenge Chelsea in May's final in an attempt to defend their FA Cup crown and still need three points to mathematically secure their place in next season's Champions League They showed on Wednesday night they are more than capable of competing with the best but their lack of ruthlessness cannot be ignored United manager Marc Skinner will have plenty to think about as they prepare for a crucial summer of recruitment - but this party was Chelsea's to enjoy still Bompastor revealed after the game that there had been no talk of a potential title win in the Chelsea dressing room prior to kick-off Players surely knew the result of the Arsenal game but that information did not come from Bompastor who chose not to follow the game and only knew the result herself after being informed by staff members Her challenge to the players was to focus on showing a response to their Champions League defeat And her immediate thoughts after the match were about the Treble a potentially unbeaten season domestically and striving towards perfection United boss Skinner described Chelsea's players as "physical monsters" who are "serial winners" "You have to try to topple that dynasty," was his final reflection on them Chelsea's stranglehold on the WSL has left everyone asking how they can catch them but their success has not been as easy as it has looked I don't know how people can think that… It is unbelievable," said Bompastor "I am always pushing for them to do more That is the mentality you have to have if you want to be one of the best teams." Spencer Match OfficialsReferee: Abigail ByrneMatch StatsKey Ella Toone (Manchester United Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half Elisabeth Terland (Manchester United Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half Sjoeke Nüsken (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick on the left wing Foul by Lisa Naalsund (Manchester United Women) Fourth official has announced 7 minutes of added time Anna Sandberg (Manchester United Women) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked Lisa Naalsund (Manchester United Women) header from the centre of the box misses to the left Assisted by Anna Sandberg with a cross following a corner Guro Reiten (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half Foul by Dominique Janssen (Manchester United Women) Lisa Naalsund replaces Celin Bizet Ildhusøy Maika Hamano (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner Cole Palmer believes “machine” Caicedo has been the club’s best player this season Moises Caicedo has picked up Chelsea’s two main awards for the season, while teenager Tyrique George also took home an academy prize It has been a stellar campaign for Caicedo who has started all 35 of Chelsea’s Premier League matches and consistently impressed under Enzo Maresca That has been recognised at the club’s end-of-season awards ceremony, which took place on Sunday night after the Blues’ 3-1 win over champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. Caicedo was named both the men’s player of the season and the players’ player of the season, with Cole Palmer making it clear how much the midfielder is valued by his team-mates “When you’ve got him next to you it’s a dream really,” Palmer said after the Liverpool match picked up the men’s academy player of the season award in what has been a breakthrough year for the 19-year-old He has made seven Premier League appearances off the bench including when he came on to score against Fulham last month and has earned four starts in the Conference League Chelsea vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result and latest updates Lola Brown won the women’s academy player of the season prize, while the player of the season award for Sonia Bompastor’s side went to Erin Cuthbert The Scottish midfielder has played a key role in the club securing a sixth consecutive WSL title and they are just one match away from going unbeaten for the entire league campaign “I think a number of people could have won this award I’m delighted but it’s not about individual trophies for me “But again thanks for everybody who voted for me.” Nathalie Bjorn was the players’ player of the season and Marcus Bettinelli and Millie Bright were named as the PFA Community Champions