The game was into the third minute when Palmer found Pedro Neto whose cut-back cross fell to the unmarked Fernandez and the Argentine whipped the ball low into the net The lively Palmer was also instrumental in the second goal after he clipped the ball into the area and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk's attempted clearance bounced off teammate Quansah and into the goal. Palmer scored his first goal since mid-January from the spot in the 96th minute after Quansah's foul on Moises Caicedo Van Dijk had pulled one back in the 84th minute from a corner for Liverpool. The result kept Chelsea fifth in the table, separated from fourth-placed Newcastle United only by goals scored The lively Palmer was also instrumental in the second goal after he clipped the ball into the area and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk's attempted clearance bounced off teammate Quansah and into the goal. Palmer scored his first goal since mid-January from the spot in the 96th minute after Quansah's foul on Moises Caicedo Van Dijk had pulled one back in the 84th minute from a corner for Liverpool. The result kept Chelsea fifth in the table, separated from fourth-placed Newcastle United only by goals scored 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 Free daily newsletterKick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football 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 Since being taken over by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, Chelsea have spent big on the likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and Marc Cucurella Caicedo has just won two awards for his performances this season but the Ecuadorian got off to a slow start in west London but the pair are now easily two of Chelsea’s most important players Cucurella really had it hard when he first joined Chelsea even being booed at one stage as he struggled on the pitch However, former Chelsea defender Scott Minto has now suggested that the Blues cannot live without him and thinks he has really turned a corner at Stamford Bridge Discussing Cucurella on talkSPORT following Chelsea’s 3-1 win against Liverpool Minto said: “Something happens when he’s in the side When things weren’t going well through that run he was one of the very few players who was making something happen either from left-back or going into inverted midfield or almost playing like a flying winger “He scores goals as well and he’s only small and sometimes with his head and it’s one of those where if you’re an opposition fan or player he probably is an annoying little so-and-so I really respect him as well for how tough it was at the start of his Chelsea career He’s turned it around for both the club and country.” Minto is not the only person who has been impressed with the left-back this season. Brentford manager Thomas Frank had some praise for Cucurella as well after his side’s 0-0 draw with Chelsea last month While neither side were able to score that day Cucurella was actually able to net in the reverse fixture Cucurella has been really good going forward while he has also managed to record four assists Without him, Chelsea would be in a much worse place. Enzo Maresca is very fortunate that Cucurella has not picked up any serious injuries flourishing in Chelsea’s defence and midfield as an inverted full-back After a disappointing start to life as a Chelsea player the Spain international really has turned things around 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 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 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. ➡️ His family relocated to Spain in 2010, and he played for Costa Unida CF de Marbella. ➡️ Malaga signed him for their academy in 2015. ➡️ Juventus signed him in 2021, initially to play for their U17 team. ➡️ In January 2023, 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. ➡️ In March 2024, he committed his international future to Spain, being called up to their U21 team. ➡️ 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, for an initial fee of just €15m (£12.9m). ➡️ 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. ➡️ With Inigo Martinez injured, 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. 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. 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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. Nkunku, 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. “Also, probably in terms of skills, Nkunku is not exactly the kind of player needed for Enzo Maresca’s vision and idea. Nkunku wants to play on a regular basis, and at Chelsea, this is not happening. “Apart from the Conference League. But it’s about Premier League football, the crucial games, and Nkunku wants to play.” 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, and I confirm that also now in May.” Chelsea are understood to be open to offers and would prefer a permanent transfer over another season of uncertainty. Clubs in Germany, 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. © Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved BBC Sport football news reporterPublished29 April 202538 CommentsUpdated 1 May 2025Chelsea academy graduates usually have a couple of well-trodden pathways - breakthrough The Blues have sold on more than 40 homegrown players in the past decade and have made £315m from selling academy-developed talent in the last four seasons alone - £100m more than Manchester City But their latest high-profile prospect Tyrique George has bucked that trend so far and can look at Levi Colwill Trevoh Chalobah and Reece James showing the way to first-team success George's strike against Fulham on 20 April saw him become Chelsea's youngest goalscorer in the Premier League since Callum Hudson-Odoi netted against Burnley in January 2020 The winger's breakthrough season has included Carabao Cup games against Barrow and Morecambe substitute league appearances against Arsenal and Brighton and almost 600 minutes in 10 Conference League games including a goal in the quarter-final first leg win at Legia Warsaw He looks well placed to start away at Djurgarden in the Conference League semi-final on Thursday - and could add to his growing reputation is disrupting that typical 'Chelsea' narrative thanks to a level of dedication unusual even in this era of academised youth development the last Chelsea player to come through the youth system into the first team without a loan was Hudson-Odoi in January 2018 - a player George grew up idolising Tyrique George pictured with private coach David 'Guru' Sobers George was promoted from the academy team to the first team on 19 December six months after he and defender Josh Acheampong signed new deals in June 2024 That decision to sign a three-year contract raised eyebrows among multiple academy sources at Chelsea Internal talk was that he might get lost among £1bn of talent - including another summer influx of talented young forwards - signed since the change of ownership in 2022 Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca gave George a chance in pre-season and sources say the Italian's backing helped keep him at Stamford Bridge And FootballTransfers.com says George's rapid progress has seen his estimated transfer value increase from £2m in December to more than £10m now George was first spotted by Chelsea playing for TFA Totteridge FC in Whetstone He signed up through their development centre programme before becoming a fully fledged academy player at the age of eight - taking a picture with then-first team breakthrough stars Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Lewis Baker on his signing day a source told BBC Sport that in those early years George was a 'middling' player in his age group until around the age of 10 It was at that point George's dad hired a goalkeeper as well as a personal coach to raise his game alongside his work at Chelsea George would train with Chelsea and then from the age of 13 on Fridays he would play against men in nine-a-side matches at either Vauxhall or Nine Elms Power League in South London he would train again and go through post-match analysis with Sobers from his Power League matches the evening before before going back to Chelsea on Sunday to play "I used to spend hours travelling on public transport to do two-hour sessions with Tyrique as I thought I could help him," Sobers told BBC Sport "We would spend hours doing one-versus-one and I enjoyed the fact that he would push himself so much I'd be a 'bad' referee when he played against 18 year olds so he would get kicked - but have to get up and win the ball back "We did tactics on his Friday session during these matches especially when coming back to their own age group." George also trained for several years with Unique FA but under the proviso that he would play with players a few years older than himself Sobers still works with George and added: "Ty became unfazed by anything but it was on him how relentless he was at repetition and doing the fundamentals "He was non-stop and we pushed him but he always wanted to work hard and we didn't force him it was all him wanting to be exceptional while staying humble "He already showed he had the mentality by facing men even when small for his age group A late growth spurt was the missing piece of the puzzle." Why are Chelsea stockpiling so many young players Sancho met George in 2017 at Goals five-a-side pitches in South London George had a chance meeting with current Chelsea on loan winger Jadon Sancho who was on the verge of joining Dortmund from Manchester City George explained: "It was me and my dad going to training Sancho said earlier in the season: "Tyrique George has the world at his feet He deserves every bit of success coming his way." Marc Cucurella and Tosin Adarabioyo as key influences over his early career at Stamford Bridge Europe's third-tier competition and domestic cup games helped George build experience before his Premier League debut in January got four assists and made a total of 21 appearances across all competitions this season George said: "The trust Enzo has in me gives me a great feeling He knows me from training with him all season." impressing in his interviews with the club of his knowledge of players He will have known George racked up a combined 33 goals and assists last season while being nominated for goal of the season for a strike against Crystal Palace Those with knowledge of George's journey say he has received additional encouragement behind the scenes since the change of ownership to the Boehly-Clearlake regime - with director of recruitment and talent Joe Shields cited as a key advocate behind-the-scenes George has also no doubt benefited from Mykhailo Mudryk's absence - as he remains provisionally suspended - after allegedly failing a drugs test Fellow academy graduate Colwill said of George this month: "We know how good a player he is so to come in and score hopefully gives him that confidence boost and hopefully he keeps pushing to try to get into our side "He's here because he is an amazing player Get Chelsea news sent straight to your phone To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser View comments | 38Top storiesHis stats are better Premier League reaction & Champions League race latest as Forest draw at Palace Alexander-Arnold leaves as modern Liverpool great - but fans will feel hurt 'Scheffler and DeChambeau wins further raise US PGA excitement levels' Palmer's brilliance could be key moment in Chelsea's Champions League quest Still number one & 'sparring' with Draper - return of Sinner Two opposing views on football's transgender ban playHow many Chelsea players would be starters for Europe's top teams (1:42)Julien Laurens picks out the Chelsea players good enough to be starting at the top level in club football Here are some musings and reactions to the most memorable moments of the weekend almost as a reward to three guys who contributed to the title but were simply often shut out of the lineup by better players The upshot was a pretty evident lack of chemistry a mental and emotional hangover from the just crowned champions Chelsea capitalized with a 3-1 win marked by a whopping 3.13 expected goals whose bags are already packed -- is pretty much at full strength which bodes well until you remember that this time last year they were trying to get rid of him every which way -- and this is a team that still has more questions than answers Pushing the youngsters the way Chelsea have done is always a feast-or-famine exercise: you know some won't make it What's difficult is when you have a bunch of "tweeners" -- guys who perform well enough that you don't want to ship them out but don't quite show enough development to convince you they'll become players who can carry a team It feels as if, again, it boils down to what I wrote last week -- and what Enzo Maresca said postgame -- this team will go as far as Cole Palmer and Nico Jackson carry them play1:38Ogden questions if leaving Liverpool is a good move for Alexander-ArnoldMark Ogden wonders if Trent Alexander-Arnold's best chance of success on the pitch is at Liverpool rather than a likely switch to Real Madrid Monday's news that Alexander-Arnold will leave at the end of his contract is not a surprise The next step is for him to announce he's joining Real Madrid: we're told there's a verbal agreement in place but it's worth remembering that until the ink is dry anything can happen Leaving a club after two decades is invariably a shock but it feels as if this is the possible way to do it Alexander-Arnold informed the club in March whatever offer they may have made him obviously wasn't as appealing as what he thought he could get elsewhere and in this case Alexander-Arnold already has generational wealth He has already won a Champions League and a league title (two in fact) with the club he has supported since he was a kid What he hasn't done is challenge himself on of the few comparable (if not bigger) stages: at the Bernabéu There's no reason for any hard feelings here he didn't tell anyone he wanted to play for free or reach 1,000 appearances for the club or anything like that The conundrum now for Liverpool is whether to bring in an A-list right back or someone who can compete for the starting job with the heir apparent, Conor Bradley My guess would be the latter given there are a couple other positions to prioritize Obviously Alexander-Arnold's departure is a net negative for Liverpool The challenge for Arne Slot will be to seize the opportunity it creates because while his attacking output made him a unique weapon It's not so much the major blunders which everyone remembers it's also the fact that Liverpool -- both under Slot and under Jurgen Klopp -- often had to make adjustments when he was on the pitch freeing up Slot to further grow this team from a tactical perspective play1:59How would Trent fit in at Real Madrid with Alonso in charge?Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss how Trent Alexander-Arnold might fit in at Real Madrid if Xabi Alonso is named as Carlo Ancelotti's replacement I'm not going to crown them just yet because stranger things have happened but it's pretty evident that Napoli have one hand (and three or four fingers of the other) on the Serie A title Manager Antonio Conte is now talking openly about it: "If we finish second nobody will remember us and the season we had Gabriele Marcotti and Julien Laurens dive into the latest news and gossip, analyze matches with special guests, and give their perspective on the world of football. Stream now always and everywhere; he'll also be talking about how the pressure is off their opponents and every single one is a major banana skin and that they need to be vigilant and risk nothing That's how he works and that's what got him this far -- fair enough (Conte haters will point out that he also had the luxury of no European football: sure but most teams have that luxury and they don't go on to finish top of the league.) The other is that he has forged a very clear defensive identity Napoli have the stingiest defense in Europe's Big Five leagues and they've yet to concede a set piece goal They're comfortable taking a lead -- often through their physicality -- and then playing on the counter That's kinda how they beat Lecce. Jack Raspadori's free kick put them ahead in the first half, they battened down the hatches, endured Kialonda Gaspar hitting the woodwork and then slowed the game to a crawl It may not be a style to everyone's taste -- and as I've noted before it's riskier than some people think -- but few will remember that if Napoli win their second Serie A title in three years play1:26Has Harry Kane finally silenced the doubters with first trophy?Luis Miguel Echegaray reacts to Harry Kane winning the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich partly because it had taken on an air of inevitability and partly because waiting for the blessing of arithmetic in front of the TV is not quite the same as winning a title on the pitch Then there's the fact that they could -- and should -- have won it the day before but somehow conceded the 3-3 equalizer in the fifth minute of injury time Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only). backstabbers and "Game of Thrones" wannabes that earned this club the nickname "FC Hollywood." not many in the current squad are the sort you build the future around Kompany showed he can do the man-management side of the job There's room for improvement everywhere else though -- you hope the club both realize this and support him in the journey Because for all the bitterness of what went wrong this season -- starting with the elimination from the Champions League (with a final in Munich no less) at the hands of Inter -- it might have been far worse without Kompany at the helm as Borussia Dortmund are on track for a Champions League spot after the Wolfsburg win: When Nico Kovac was appointed manager back on Feb with Borussia Dortmund lying 11th in the Bundesliga I made the point that a Champions League spot had to be the expectation otherwise there was no point in bringing him in Some thought it was excessive; others thought I was being mean to Kovac (I admit I've been very critical of him in the past) goal and it was time folks were held to account at Dortmund this is the club with the second-highest wage bill in the league and was in the Champions League final less than a year ago just one point behind fourth place Freiburg with two games to go play2:35What's allowed Antony to find form at Betis?The "ESPN FC" crew discuss what has allowed Antony to flourish for Real Betis where he previously struggled at Manchester United two assists and just the sort of performances that prompted Erik ten Hag to chuck €100m at Ajax to secure him a few years ago Betis are already joking about starting crowdfunding or even kidnapping him to keep him around The reality is that given the size of his fee and amortization it's highly unlikely that Manchester United will be able to shift him in the summer but another loan makes sense for everyone -- possibly with an obligation to make permanent if certain goals are met The win is just enough to keep the pressure on Napoli without the extra minutes for Raphinha and Yamal but you're not going to blame Flick for wanting to make sure play2:10Should Arteta have rotated his Arsenal side before facing PSG?Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens wonder if Mikel Arteta made the right call in playing all of his stars in Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth before facing PSG on Wednesday both of whom are likely starters in midweek anyway Arteta said after the game he was hoping to build momentum for the second leg in Paris; instead they'll have to channel their frustration at the defeat but it does tell you a lot about the mindset The other three teams clearly prioritized injury avoidance and rest ahead of the confidence that comes from a win at the weekend it won't matter at all come Wednesday night It only reinforces the notion that this is the B-team play1:48Why Mbappe will have a 'decisive role' in El ClasicoReal Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Kylian Mbappe will play a "decisive role" in the El Clasico against Barcelona The gap with table-topping Barcelona is four points so arithmetic -- and history -- say they're still alive.. But what we saw in the last half hour doesn't bode well for next weekend's Clásico Amorim sent out a very young side -- the third youngest in the history of the Premier League to be precise -- and the 4-3 defeat (and it could have been worse two of United's goals came late) was more a function of lack of tactical execution than lack of talent But if it looked like many of the players were unfamiliar with what's required to make Amorim's 3-4-2-1 tick Wayne Rooney said the club's under-21 side doesn't play the formation If that's the case -- and I'm assuming he would know -- then it makes little sense The U-21 side exists solely to develop players for the first team especially when the first team's is so different and so tricky to metabolize It's hard enough to turn this club around without all the self-inflicted damage.. play1:18Leboeuf says Man United players should be 'ashamed' after Brentford lossFrank Leboeuf rips into Manchester United following their 4-3 defeat at Brentford in the Premier League Alavés and Atlético Madrid set new records of futility in scoreless draw: This isn't really about Alavés They aren't safe from relegation yet: a point at home to Atlético is a good result and once they figured out the opposition wasn't going to attack It boggles the mind -- for all the stereotyping of Diego Simeone and hunger and intensity -- how this team could only muster their first shot in the 57th minute with Alavés edging the xG 0.03 to 0.00.) I mean This is a team whose resources are dwarfed by Real Madrid and Barcelona but who also dwarf everybody else in the league which explains why they finished top three in 11 of the past 12 seasons Once it became evident they were finishing third and had no cup competitions to stay sharp for they ended up settling for days like these I like to think Simeone had a good rant about it because pride isn't something you should be turning on and off HEALTH and Wolfe have united for the new single “MEAN.” “MEAN” is not a Taylor Swift cover it’s a billowing cloud of gracefully dark vocals and throbbing keyboard ooze It’s the type of song that won’t truly sound right until you hear it in a place where green lasers are pulsing through dry-ice fog in time with the beat The most important stories and least important memes as they aim to end the weekend still in the Premier League's top-five The Blues have continental glory in the form of the Conference League to pursue, but securing a spot in next season's Champions League is perhaps the club's primary goal during the final month of the season Here's how Chelsea could line up for Liverpool's visit this weekend Nicolas Jackson ended his goal drought last week against the Toffees / IMAGO / PRiME Media ImagesGK: Robert Sanchez— Sanchez is an injury doubt for Sunday and Maresca has said the Spaniard will be assessed ahead of kick-off the Italian may well risk him as he was brilliant in the 1-0 win over Everton last Saturday RB: Moises Caicedo— We saw Roberto De Zerbi use Caicedo at right-back during his time at Brighton and Maresca has done something similar this season The Ecuadorian is good enough one-on-on defensively to compete with wide players and will tuck into central areas when Chelsea have the ball CB: Trevoh Chalobah— The English centre-back has cemented his spot as a Premier League starter after Wesley Fofana suffered a season-ending muscle injury Chalobah was key in Chelsea's slender win last week CB: Levi Colwill— Colwill was again rested in the week as the Blues took a big leap towards the Conference League final. He'll be back in the side for Liverpool's visit Cucurella has been a constant in Chelsea's Premier League XI this term and he'll lock horns with Mohamed Salah on Sunday CM: Romeo Lavia— Once a Liverpool transfer target Lavia is back from injury and set to play a crucial role during the final month of the season CM: Enzo Fernandez— There's a neat balance between craft and brawn in Chelsea's midfield with Fernandez undoubtedly supplying the former RW: Pedro Neto— Neto's goal at Fulham may well have reignited Chelsea's Champions League push two weeks ago with much of his joy this season arriving off the right flank AM: Cole Palmer— Still without a goal since mid-January Maresca hasn't lost faith in his creative talisman yet and Blues supporters must be hopeful that last season's hero has something special up his sleeve for the run-in LW: Noni Madueke— While heavily left-footed and more comfortable on the opposite flank Maresca seemed to get something out of Madueke down the left last week and we could see the England international continue on his 'natural' flank against the champions ST: Nicolas Jackson— Jackson's goal drought came to an end last week and his strike proved decisive against Everton The striker followed that up with a brace on Thursday suggesting that he may well have rediscovered his groove at a crucial point JAMES CORMACK The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER It was the moment all Chelsea fans must have felt that Cole Palmer is well and truly back Palmer’s injury-time penalty was significant It not only secured all three points for Chelsea against Liverpool but also ended a personal goal drought lasting four months since the game on January 14 against Bournemouth But it was his bit of magic in the 81st minute that had people off their seats and believing again There seemed to be very little on when Palmer had the ball on the touchline at the Liverpool end The 22-year-old ran towards Liverpool’s goal you just thought he was trying to invite a challenge to win a corner a penalty or would look to pass to a team-mate especially as Palmer’s eyes deliberately darted to the right (Alisson’s left) The Brazil international left the tiniest gap at the near post But surely the angle was too tight to shoot Palmer fooled everybody by trying to score instead but the ball rebounded off the far post and came out perhaps Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was the only other person in the ground not to be taken completely unawares When asked if he thought Palmer would attempt such an effort at that moment he replied with a smile: “Cole is that kind of player They (people like Palmer) are different players I expect anything because he can do anything.” Such brilliance used to seemingly come with the match ticket in the first 18 months of Palmer’s Chelsea career But his self-belief has visibly drained since January as he failed to find the net Even the regular supply of assists dried up That has provoked a lot of scorn to be aimed in his direction from those who love to tear people down on social media As much as footballers say they pay no attention to it when going through a lean spell Palmer essentially admitted that his downturn had taken some kind of toll but only because of the impact it was having on the team “I went three (four) months without scoring but it just gives me more fight and motivation to do more for myself and for the team,” he said but it’s only one and I’ve got to keep improving and try to reach new levels it feels like you’re letting your team down This was Palmer sparking fear in opponents once more — and the new champions no less Palmer’s bit of trickery with nine minutes remaining was not his only moment to remember from a pulsating encounter it was his perfectly-weighted pass to Pedro Neto who crossed for Enzo Fernandez to score in the third minute which showed he was in the mood to make a difference Liverpool players would try to close him down Palmer would also be working hard to try to win it back One instinctive ball over the top for Nicolas Jackson to run onto in the 16th minute was also a reminder of the vision he possesses He led Kostas Tsimikas a merry dance in the build-up to Chelsea’s second goal and his quick feet must have bewitched Virgil van Dijk too because he hit a panicked clearance against team-mate Jarell Quansah and the ball rebounded into the net Some statistics that emerged post-match further emphasised what we had just witnessed Palmer came out on top for most passes in the final third (13) shots on target (two) and for fouls won (two) Scoring the penalty kick in added time capped things off It also brought the loudest roar from the Chelsea fans celebrating seeing him find the net again as much as the team restoring their two-goal lead His fellow Chelsea players made a show of marking the moment with their team-mate “He deserves it,” Moises Caicedo said to Sky Sports He helps us a lot even when he didn’t score.” it means Palmer has had a huge weight lifted off his shoulders ahead of the tough run-in to secure a top-five place and the target of Champions League football next season Away games at fellow challengers Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest await with a home match against Manchester United sandwiched in between But Maresca can see the significance of Palmer looking more like his old self and being back on the scoresheet Pressed on the significance and the timing of what he produced against Liverpool with such huge fixtures to come I said if we want to reach the (top five of the) Premier League we needed goals from Cole and Nico (Jackson) “Nico scored against Everton and gave us three points Signs have been pointing towards the departure of Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens for some time. Local publication Ruhr Nachrichten now reports that the 20-year-old has already informed the club of his desire to leave and has even hinted at a summer departure within the BVB dressing room. Gittens is reportedly eyeing a move to England, with Arsenal currently leading London rivals Chelsea in the race for his signature, according to the report. Dortmund are said to be open to selling the highly rated winger for a fee in the region of €50–60 million, with his contract running until 2028. This season, Gittens has contributed 12 goals and five assists in 46 appearances for Dortmund. 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 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 Premier League tradition was not well received by many of the home faithful at Stamford Bridge 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 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 Chelsea have real belief as Liverpool lack intensity after title party 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 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 VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin 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 Man charged after London student nurse stabbed to death in Texas 'in row over cat' Man charged after London student nurse stabbed to death in Texas The Blues' serene pursuit of Conference League glory continued in the week as they cruised to a 4-1 victory at Swedish outfit Djurgården in the first leg of their semifinal However, arguably a more important goal for Chelsea is securing Champions League football via a top-five Premier League finish The Blues edged a tight encounter with Everton last week and would've been thrilled to see Nottingham Forest lose at home to Brentford on Thursday night Chelsea currently occupy fifth with four games to go but challenging away days at Newcastle and Forest beckon Liverpool, meanwhile, can enjoy the campaign's finale after they were confirmed as champions last weekend It's been a stroll at the summit for the Reds due to the lack of a distinct challenger with Arsenal struggling to take advantage of any slip-ups over the spring Arne Slot's side have won three on the bounce including last week's 5-1 dismantling of Tottenham Hotspur and they're now aiming to finish the campaign with as big a points total as possible Here is Sports Illustrated's guide Sunday's standout Premier League clash Robert Sanchez is a doubt for Liverpool's visit / IMAGO / Action PlusMaresca once again shuffled his pack in midweek as his team took a big step towards the Conference League final Trevoh Chalobah and Moises Caicedo all appeared off the bench in Sweden and will be back in the XI this weekend Levi Colwill and Pedro Neto were unused subsititutes on Thursday The boss has said that both Robert Sanchez and Christopher Nkunku will be assessed ahead of the game due to the knocks they've recently sustained Filip Jorgensen will retain his place between the posts if Sanchez isn't deemed fit The Blues have lost Wesley Fofana for the season Chelsea predicted lineup vs Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Caicedo Harvey Elliott will be given a chance to impress on Sunday / IMAGO / Propaganda PhotoSlot has said that he will rotate his starting XI during Liverpool's final four outings of the season offering minutes to those who have only played sporadic roles in the club's title triumph While we shouldn't expect an array of changes on Sunday Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott could both get chances to impress in attack Mohamed Salah certainly won't be coming out of the side as he aims to break the Premier League's single-season goal involvements record while Joe Gomez remains out of action for the visitors Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold Chelsea's form looks positive on paper and this game undeniably means more to them after Liverpool wrapped up the title last weekend the Blues cannot think that the visitors will be taking their foot off the gas on Sunday haven't been all that convincing as of late despite enjoying a prolonged unbeaten domestic run Stamford Bridge has hardly been a fortress this term with Ipswich Town the latest team to steal points off the Blues in west London despite the changes Slot could make to his team are well-placed to take advantage of what can often appear an insipid Chelsea outfit hindering the hosts' top-five challenge Liverpool entertained Chelsea at Anfield in the deciding leg of the Champions League semi-finals It was always going to be a seismic occasion yet it turned into one of the most controversial matches in the competition’s recent history helping fuel one of English football’s great modern rivalries which the UK media dubbed a “ghost goal” and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said had “come from the moon or the Anfield Road stands” The Athletic relived the events of that tumultuous night with key figures from both sides who were there Liverpool, in contrast, were struggling to pull clear of fifth-placed Bolton Wanderers in the league and had already lost the League Cup final against Chelsea that season. Their form in Europe, however, was a different story: having edged past Olympiacos with Steven Gerrard’s late intervention in the group stage they had knocked out Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen and then earned a creditable 0-0 draw with Chelsea in the semi-final first leg Liverpool midfielder: We were the underdogs we knew that if we conceded at home it would be really tough We knew we needed the perfect performance against the best team in England and Rafa set us up perfectly tactically Liverpool manager: The key tactically was our balance as we had to remain solid I didn’t like us to sit too deep or to press too high We talked a lot about choosing the right pass as a trigger for the press all together Usually it came from the centre-back passing to the full-back (Chelsea forward) Didier Drogba was a ‘runner’ and I’d speak to (Liverpool centre-back) Sami Hyypia about how you had to move early and anticipate his movement If we pressed that side then they would try the ball in behind and the centre-backs had to go early to ensure they were already there to deal with it it was difficult to play against us but Liverpool deserved to be in the semi-finals They had a very good coach and very good players as well — Jamie Carragher Anfield always comes alive but this was on a whole different level Supporters packed into the stadium early and created a hostile atmosphere that caught some of the Chelsea players off guard Chelsea defender: When we got to the ground Liverpool supporters have since said the atmosphere was one of the best in history Liverpool midfielder: I’d already played in a lot of big games but this was something different I could sense it from the moment I walked out for the warm-up The supporters realised that we needed their help to get through but even the best can feel the pressure of an atmosphere like that There’s no doubt that it made our players run the extra mile Gerrard dinked a pass between John Terry and Carvalho — the defensive duo who were usually so tight — to play in Milan Baros Goalkeeper Petr Cech charged out and bundled into the striker but Garcia pounced and clipped the ball towards goal William Gallas thought he had done enough to prevent it from crossing the line but the Slovakian referee Lubos Michel on the advice of his assistant Roman Slysko Chelsea defender: I was probably the closest one to it even though Willy (Gallas) got to the ball after me Carvalho: The problem is no one can confirm that the ball was inside (the goal) I was looking at William running back and kicking the ball Hamann: I looked at the assistant and he immediately gave the goal we knew we were unlikely to get many chances so we needed to fly out of the block and impose ourselves on the game I just felt like it had to have been a goal There was a bit of injustice there but the main thing was the noise from the crowd Chelsea had 86 minutes plus stoppage time to find an equaliser that would have been enough to send them into the final the plan was to sit deep and protect what they had but the final stages were tense it was to get the big guy up front and cause a bit of chaos I just had 15-20 minutes to score but finishing wasn’t my strongest point Terry headed across goal and as Liverpool struggled to clear their lines the loose ball fell to Eidur Gudjohnsen at the back post The Iceland international was on the edge of the six-yard box but at an acute angle and with Liverpool defenders scrambling to cover His shot was well struck… but flashed just past the far post I came off with about 20 minutes to go and it was scary watching the rest of it from the bench when the ball fell to Gudjohnsen in the 95th minute… it was like the world stood still If Djimi Traore had got a touch at the near post it probably would have ended up in the net Antonio Nunez, Liverpool attacker, speaking to The Athletic in 2022: The shot went just wide and the ball passed quite close to me My brother told me he was worried I was going to get a touch and make an own goal There was no time for Chelsea to come again and Liverpool had reached their first European final since 1985 Biscan: The scenes when the final whistle went seconds later were crazy It was the most electrifying night at Anfield I ever had We went into the city later that night to have a few drinks and celebrate.  Hamann: The roar that went around the ground at the final whistle still gives me goosebumps We did a lap of honour after and you could see what it meant to the people Nunez: When I went to the players’ lounge after to see my brother I always say you have to go there and live it for yourself to truly understand it Benitez: I went to a bar at the Albert Dock that night with my wife and some friends to celebrate I just enjoyed seeing what it meant to everyone It had been 20 years since Liverpool had reached a Champions League final I was already thinking about the next challenge taking aim at the officials and Garcia’s goal Michel said later that he had complete confidence in Slysko’s decision to flag for a goal and that he would have awarded a penalty and sent off Cech for fouling Baros but I would have much rather had a red card for Cech and a penalty for us than the goal be awarded Mourinho complained but that completely overlooked the fact that they were actually lucky not to be a man down for 85 minutes-plus It was a better decision for them than it was for us Benitez: I was at a UEFA board meeting with Petr Cech the other day Whenever that night comes up in conversation don’t complain about that goal being awarded Would you have preferred to be a man down right at the beginning of the game?’ Terry: I would rather it had hit the net: a goal is a goal we know where we stand and Liverpool would have beaten us It would be interesting to see it with modern technology Losing such a big game on something like that it is probably why we have VAR now and we should appreciate it for those reasons For Liverpool, the rest is history. They went on to win the Champions League in Istanbul, recovering from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 and beat Milan on penalties who ultimately finished 37 points ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League there were only regrets and a sense of what might have been Biscan: We were the underdogs in the Champions League that season But from the moment we beat Olympiacos in the final group game to advance to the knockout stages It got bigger and bigger with every round we reached Through sheer determination and a really competitive spirit we kept on getting through it felt like it was our destiny to go on and lift the trophy in Istanbul Terry: I won a lot of trophies in my career but it is the ones that get away from you that leave a little scratch That (the goal) is one of those moments where you go Carvalho: It would have been great to play a Champions League final that year But you have to find a balance in yourself because it is not easy to get into a Champions League semi-final or final The team that we built deserved to win such an important trophy And the next years were difficult to play against Liverpool.  You always had in the press conferences Mourinho and Benitez having their mind games maybe in that time we wanted to show something more than just to win the game against them You had this sensation that it should have been us that played in the final it was the Champions League that he never won with the team that he loved That team certainly was good enough to win the Champions League The good thing about football is that there is always another game and I’m just happy for Chelsea that they eventually celebrated winning it in 2012 Benitez: Fathers still often come up to me to talk about that night The teenage children with them don’t know about it because they weren’t even born I never thought too much about the complaints about the goal The reality is that we won the game and deserved to win (Top photos: Getty Images; design: Will Tulos) playKrieger: Chelsea deserve to win sixth straight WSL title (0:24)Ali Krieger hails Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor as she leads her side to a sixth straight WSL title following a 1-0 win over Man United the Blues were crowned champions once again on Wednesday The league victory, their eighth in total, is made all the more astonishing as it was manager Sonia Bompastor's first season in England, after leaving European juggernauts Lyon in the summer The unbeaten domestic season (so far) also means the Blues have a chance to secure a record points total and are one trophy away from a treble after securing the League Cup and now the league title. They face Man United in the FA Cup final next month Here are the five aspects that spurred Bompastor's Chelsea to such a stunning triumph Despite being in charge for only a matter of weeks, Bompastor began her career in England in the best possible fashion; winning the first nine games of the season, breaking a number of records within that time. A 1-1 draw against Leicester City ended their winning run yet the Blues continued to remain unbeaten (more on that later) Winning the first nine games not only sent a statement but provided a much-needed cushion when they were unable to grind out victories A fast start in the WSL is incredibly important. Arsenal this season, United last season, and Manchester City the season before all endured a slow start to their campaign and were unable to overturn the deficit in a 22-game season No team had won the league with two losses until last season when Chelsea won it with three -- but only narrowly Chelsea learnt their lesson and ensured they started 2024-25 fast not only sending a warning sign to other clubs that the reigning champs were as ruthless as ever -- but it also set them up perfectly to stay unbeaten leaving the Blues close to a record points total Previously, Chelsea needed 58 points to win the league but, following their win over United on Wednesday, combined with Arsenal's failure to beat Aston Villa the Blues have secured the title with 54 points They could still end the season with a record points total with two games left still to play; two wins would take them to 60 They still are the team to beat in England The team is stacked full of players who know what it takes to win Serial winners settle for nothing less than perfection and this season is as close as it comes to that As much as Chelsea's title campaign has been exceptional Man United and Man City all dropped points in crucial games United's needless draws also meant they fell behind the curb and Man City's drop off following their midseason injury crisis forced them out of the top three combined with Chelsea's ability to secure key wins against their opponents in the top four including Wednesday's narrow win over United Though they had a few minor hiccups against lower-ranked teams they avoided slipping when it mattered most And rarely were gaps obvious despite not having her favoured XI available Chelsea's injuries went almost unnoticed because of their squad depth City had four key players all ruled out at one point completely derailing their season and spoiling their chances of a second WSL title while it stunted certain link-ups and prevented from relationships from developing further proved critical at the end stage of the season when the Blues were battling in the final steps of the domestic cup competitions the Champions League knockouts and the league but Bompastor was able to ensure fitness stayed as high as possible among as many players as possible swapping out loaded players to keep her side ticking over It was a seamless transition when Bompastor took over the helm in the summer a self-proclaimed sore loser and serial winner demanded a lot from her players from the get-go Training sessions are as intense as a cup final game requiring full focus and vigour day in and day out "She's very demanding," midfielder Erin Cuthbert told ESPN in November "That's something I really like from a manager she doesn't let you sit back and chill for 10 minutes and I really enjoy that she knows exactly what she wants." The new, intense training, while not far off former manager Emma Hayes' approach, did mean that players could not slack off, indicating that perhaps the now United States boss was slightly more lenient Cuthbert said the pair were similar in their style but Bompastor demanded more technical execution from her players with more focus on building up from the back "She demands a lot of technical execution from everyone and I think she will never settle on what she wants to achieve," she said "[Bompastor] certainly demands training at a high intensity; if you can't do it in training Both managers have achieved success with the Blues and Bompastor's intense style has certainly created a winning formula in her first season The proof is clear that the changes she brought to the team -- while they did not see the team through to the Champions League final -- were effective in getting them to domestic glory They'll have the opportunity to complete the treble on May 18 when Chelsea face United again in the FA Cup final at Wembley League title number 20 is hugely significant for the Merseysiders as they moved level with bitter rivals Manchester United and their record haul and they're merely playing to secure as many points as possible during the final month of the season Here's how the champions could line up in west London this weekend Federico Chiesa could make a rare Premier League start on Sunday / MAGO / Maciej RogowskiGK: Alisson–– The Brazilian has missed his fair share of games this season but has been fit and available during the run-in He'll keep his place between the posts on Sunday RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold–– Alexander-Arnold played a key role in the club's title success, and he's set to play out the final few games for his boyhood club before potentially joining Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer CB: Ibrahima Konate–– Slot could entrust Jarell Quansah at the heart of Liverpool's defence but he'll likely retain the imposing Frenchman to combat the channel-running threat of Nicolas Jackson CB: Virgil van Dijk–– The skipper hasn't been offered that much respite this season, with Van Dijk one of three Liverpool players to start every single Premier League outing LB: Kostas Tsimikas–– Slot has been willing to rotate at left-back throughout the campaign as a result of Andy Robertson's form Tsimikas has enjoyed his fair share of opportunities as a result and the Greek international could return to the XI this weekend CM: Ryan Gravenberch–– The slick Dutchman has been a constant in the Premier League XI with Slot's utilisation of Gravenberch in a deeper midfield role one of the keys to Liverpool's success this term CM: Curtis Jones–– Alexis Mac Allister could earn a breather with the Reds boasting an impressive replacement in Jones RW: Mohamed Salah–– There's simply no way Salah will be rotated out of the team as he hunts the Premier League's single-season goal involvements record He needs just two more with four games to go AM: Harvey Elliott–– Slot has been impressed with Elliott during the second half of the season having recovered from a broken foot sustained in September After multiple impressive cameos off the bench the playmaker should be given a chance from the outset at the Bridge LW: Federico Chiesa–– Chiesa has been left firmly on the periphery this season, but Liverpool supporters want to see more of the Italian during the final month of 2024-25 He's made just four Premier League appearances and this would be his first start ST: Diogo Jota–– Liverpool have an array of options up top with several players likely to share the minutes Jota has recorded just 13 league starts this season and has struggled for goals in 2025 but he could have some joy against a Chelsea team that aren't always so organised when defending their box Enzo Maresca made it clear after Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Everton that he sees two very different versions of his team: the one with Romeo Lavia in it and the one without he is one of the best midfielders (in the world),” Maresca said of Lavia in his post-match press conference he can break the line (with the ball) and pass between the lines.” Chelsea have been without Lavia much more than they have been able to call upon him in his second season at Stamford Bridge after a debut campaign that was wrecked by injuries Saturday against Everton was only his 12th appearance in the Premier League in 2024-25 Lavia has not yet completed a full 90 minutes since his move from Southampton for a fee of £53million plus £5m in add-ons in August 2023 It would be poetic if he finally achieved that milestone against Liverpool the team that pursued him for much of that summer window before losing out to Chelsea in the battle for his signature Liverpool had identified Lavia as a potential solution to their hole in the base of midfield created by Fabinho’s drastic decline his composure and technical polish on the ball in a struggling Southampton team had marked him out as the kind of press-resistant No 6 that every modern elite team wants Lavia has shown glimpses of those qualities and has demonstrated his value even in relatively limited outings this season Chelsea are actually losing slightly more often during his Premier League minutes on the pitch (nine goals scored but some context is required: Maresca underlined his high opinion of the Belgian by pushing him into his starting XI for big matches against Manchester City often when short of his peak sharpness and rhythm The only two Premier League matches Lavia started in December were a 3-0 dismantling of Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge and a thrilling 4-3 fightback away at bitter rivals Tottenham — two victories that rank as arguably Chelsea’s two most impressive performances of the season one sequence demonstrated the two most outstanding aspects of Lavia’s game: his ability to receive and retain the ball under pressure and his talent for identifying and playing line-breaking passes that give his team an advantage he took possession of the ball in his own defensive third held off Jaden Philogene as he dribbled diagonally upfield then threaded a perfect pass through a small gap between two Villa midfielders into the feet of an unmarked Cole Palmer in the right half-space: Any statistical analysis of Lavia suffers from the small-sample-size problem but these progressive passes already mark him out whose tracking data uses an AI model to identify defensive structures and passes that go through them Lavia is one of only seven midfielders with 500 or more minutes in the Premier League this season to average 4.7 or more line-breaking passes per 90 minutes Moises Caicedo ranks 10th with an average of 4.4 line-breaking passes per 90 minutes while Enzo Fernandez ranks 15th with 4.1 per 90 minutes Not all line-breaking passes are created equal Fernandez’s passes have broken the last line of opposition defence 18 times this season; only Cole Palmer (19) has done so more often Lavia’s speciality (illustrated in the graphic below) is playing passes through an opponent’s midfield line most often into Chelsea team-mates operating in the left and right half-spaces: Those passes are very unlikely to result in direct assists but they are crucial for the attacking success of Maresca’s system which relies in no small part on consistently getting the ball to the players in those half-spaces — chiefly Palmer — with time and space to make good decisions in the final third of the pitch Lavia is the best player Chelsea have at playing these particular passes and he is just as capable of playing them through opponents who sit deep as those who press high receiving a seemingly innocuous square pass from Caicedo quickly swivelling his body and rattling the ball between three opponents into Fernandez: Tottenham’s aggressive press in December gave Lavia even more opportunities to carve open their midfield line and he did so repeatedly The most impressive one might have been this sequence shortly before the interval: receiving a pass from Benoit Badiashile under pressure from Dejan Kulusevski and angling a first-time pass forward to Palmer through a gap that did not appear to exist: Lavia has a sharp understanding with Palmer no doubt grounded in their shared history at Manchester City’s academy Midway through the first half against Tottenham they worked in tandem to torment Pape Matar Sarr: Palmer drifting slightly to his left to lure the Senegal international into leaning one way then darting to his right as Lavia hits a perfectly timed and weighted pass into the space behind Spurs’ midfield… Maresca believes a Caicedo-Lavia base gives his midfield the best balance explaining in November that he values their physicality and strength in the middle of the pitch his desire to field both relegated Fernandez to the substitutes’ bench Caicedo has started as the nominal right-back and inverted into midfield alongside the Belgian whenever Chelsea have the ball with Fernandez moving up into the left half-space Lavia is more impactful defensively than Fernandez His aggression in the tackle makes him well-suited to a team that seeks to recover the ball in the opposition half Here he is against Villa simply beating Boubacar Kamara to a 50-50 ball and timing a slide that doubles as a forward pass to Nicolas Jackson: he anticipated Son Heung-min’s pass infield towards Sarr drove forward and played a quick pass up to Jackson: But there is a reason why Maresca sees Lavia as an ideal partner for Caicedo rather than as a viable alternative to the Ecuador international his occasional lapses are more likely to be damaging to the team The most memorable example came in Chelsea’s 2-1 away win over Leicester City in November Introduced in place of Caicedo in the 81st minute Lavia realised too late that he needed to be the one to defend Bobby De Cordova-Reid with Levi Colwill drawn right to track the run of Victor Kristiansen Stephy Mavididi clipped the ball into the box for De Cordova-Reid and Lavia Tottenham also stretched Lavia defensively in the first half in December Son initiated a one-two with Dominic Solanke and sprinted beyond Caicedo into the left channel but the Belgian allowed the Cobham graduate to get away from him Son elected to shoot himself and nearly scored but if he had squared the ball to Solanke the result would have been an even better chance: That sequence highlighted some of the broader risks with Maresca’s preferred midfield alignment Caicedo is not a natural right-back and can be vulnerable to faster wingers particularly without the injured Wesley Fofana around to defend the large space created by his inverting runs Going with Reece James in that role instead may strengthen Chelsea defensively at the cost of weakening the midfield and the recovery runs exert a physical toll But the potential rewards of picking Lavia are considerable Chelsea are likely to encounter more high-pressure than low-block defences in their daunting Premier League run-in starting with the visit of Liverpool to Stamford Bridge on Sunday There are no regrets at Anfield about missing out on Lavia; Arne Slot’s midfield has been the best in the country this season and Ryan Gravenberch has been moulded into exactly the type of No 6 that Maresca wants Lavia to be in his team but aggressive pressing can widen the Belgian’s windows to play those line-breaking passes through the midfield who is searching for rhythm and has been dropping deeper and deeper to touch the ball in recent weeks Lavia’s progressive passing talents make Marescaball much more watchable for supporters — as long as his body holds up playEchegaray: Lavia brings stability to Chelsea (1:33)ESPN FC's Luis Miguel Echegaray believes Romeo Lavia is essential for Chelsea's stability in midfield after he starred in their 3-1 victory over Liverpool LONDON -- What a difference a midfield makes. Sunday's 3-1 win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge was a further indication that Chelsea might finally be on the way to getting things right in the middle of the pitch It has been a long journey to this point, and one that has been inextricably linked to the Reds, given that both clubs aggressively pursued deals for Moisés Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in 2023 This was only the sixth time Lavia, Fernández and Caicedo have started together for Chelsea. The combination proved too much for Liverpool and was the bedrock of a victory that keeps the Blues on track to secure the UEFA Champions League spot they crave Manager Enzo Maresca has opted for an unconventional way of accommodating all three players selecting Caicedo at right back for the third game in succession and allowing Lavia and Fernández to form a dynamic and combative central-midfield pairing the midfield rebuild Jürgen Klopp presided over was a key reason Arne Slot was able to inherit such a formidable team without any need to strengthen it in the market last summer Try as they might, Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott were poor understudies Slot would never criticize a group that has just delivered Liverpool's 20th top-flight title but he did admit they "missed that little bit which we usually have; we missed a few percentages to get that result." Enzo Fernández scored the opening goal in Chelsea's 3-1 Premier League win over Liverpool on Sunday. Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty ImagesLavia is a powerhouse of a player -- when fit That caveat has been a big one during various issues including hamstring ankle and thigh problems that have cast doubt over a promising career "You can see that we are a better team with Romeo," Maresca said after the match you can see he has been injured for most of the season the difference between us and more clubs is we had many important players injured He showed again today how important he is for the team and how good he is." created the most chances (4) and had the joint-most touches in the opposition box (8) of any Chelsea player but the man himself has no doubt who is the most pivotal figure "When you have got [Caicedo] in front of you it's a dream," Palmer said after the match he has been our best player; he wins the ball back all the time Chelsea's season is yet to be determined as a success or failure with everything to play for but their hopes of a positive conclusion are stronger when Caicedo the inexperienced coach of an inexperienced group of players assembled under an inexperienced ownership regime has been talking about the importance of experience He feels Chelsea could do with a little more of it for whom his club will roll out the red carpet at Stamford Bridge on Sunday his players lining up to offer a guard of honour to a team crowned Premier League champions with four games to spare.  they have been consistent compared to us,” the Chelsea coach told reporters recently in terms of experienced players that know how to win games and these kind of things What Maresca has not done is demand that Chelsea rip up their youth-focused transfer strategy and sign a core of experienced players to build around — or indeed that they hire a more experienced coach to lead them is something that can be acquired through…well He believes he and his players will be better and wiser for what they have learned this season particularly if they end up qualifying for the Champions League and winning the UEFA Conference League it leans heavily on a basic assumption: that everything improves with time having made the largest single-season transfer spend in football history in 2022-23 and the second single-season spend in football history in 2023-24 be in better shape by the final weeks of 2024-25 As important as the objectives of Champions League qualification and Conference League success undoubtedly are — and as attainable as they appear despite the state of disillusionment that has settled over Stamford Bridge since the turn of the year — they would represent only the most meagre return on the £1billion-plus spent on new players since a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali bought the club The fascinating question is whether — and to what extent — Chelsea would regard a top-five finish in the Premier League and victory in Europe’s third-tier competition as vindication for the strategy that has brought such a minimal uplift over the past three years in the number of players signed and the age profile: Enzo Fernandez Nicolas Jackson and Filip Jorgensen were signed at 22; Wesley Fofana Renato Veiga and David Datro Fofana at 20; Romeo Lavia Malo Gusto and Aaron Anselmino at 19; Omari Kellyman Dario Essugo (20) and Estevao Willian (18) join the club this summer It is dizzying just to write down those names and the sums lavished on them Some were signed having impressed fleetingly elsewhere — Gusto after 34 Ligue 1 starts for Lyon Lavia after 26 Premier League games for Southampton Madueke after 21 Eredivisie starts for PSV Eindhoven Mudryk after 19 Ukrainian Premier League starts for Shakhtar Donetsk Jackson after 19 La Liga starts for Villarreal Palmer after three Premier League starts for Manchester City Datro Fofana after 20 starts for Molde in Norway’s Eliteserien — and expected to compete for a first-team place at Chelsea immediately had started just 17 games for River Plate in Argentina’s Primera Division and 17 for Benfica in Liga Portugal those signed with barely a full season of first-team experience under their belt perhaps only Palmer can claim to have made a sustained impression at Chelsea Madueke and particularly Jackson have shown their quality in spells — Lavia likewise on the rare occasions he has been injury-free while Andrey Santos has excelled on loan at Strasbourg — but how many of them have shown enough to suggest they can be integral parts of a Chelsea team that competes for bigger prizes than the Conference League title and a top-five berth in the Premier League The difficulty is that this clutch of talented young players have spent the past two or three seasons at a club in a state of flux: so many players coming and going little time to develop partnerships and understanding and — an important one this — so little sense of established identity in terms of playing style know-how and all the ingredients that coaches talk about when they are outlining what (beyond talent) makes a great team if your project is built almost exclusively around trading in young talent is that those qualities are fostered over time But does that organic improvement still happen when a squad has been built without — indeed to the very active exclusion of — experienced players who know the club and know the league Surrounded by battle-hardened team-mates in the Argentina squad at the 2022 World Cup he has often been the one his younger team-mates have looked to for inspiration and leadership even as he has been trying to adjust to the demands of the Premier League Claude Makelele and Frank Lampard in midfield They conceded 15 goals in the Premier League that season — a record that no team has come close to matching That was a young team by title-winning standards; of the regular starters only Claude Makelele (31) was older than 27 But most of the players were in or approaching their prime Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira were 26 and had won the Champions League with Porto a year earlier but both had four years of regular first-team behind them by the time they arrived at the start of that title-winning campaign That is a very different approach to putting so much faith in the potential and meagre experience of the players the modern Chelsea have signed There is a vast difference between: a) signing Robben from PSV at the age of 20 adding one of the most captivating talents in Europe to a squad that had enough experience to help him through his growing pains and b) signing a largely unproven Madueke from the same club at the same age — or indeed signing Mudryk from Shakhtar at 22 — and hoping that he swims rather than sinks in a dysfunctional team Maresca cited experience as the biggest difference between his team and the Liverpool side for whom they have promised a guard of honour at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon Liverpool’s success this season has been built on a core of players (Alisson Mohamed Salah) who were fundamental to their team’s rise under Jurgen Klopp reaching the Champions League final in 2018 winning it in 2019 and winning the Premier League in 2020 There are times when a lack of transfer activity has Liverpool’s supporters tearing their hair out but the difference between their recruitment strategy and Chelsea’s over recent years — judicious and capricious in extremes — is astounding Liverpool don’t tend to buy “star” players at the very top end of the transfer market; they made a rare exception for Van Dijk who at £75million became the most expensive defender in football history when he joined from Southampton in January 2018 with the exception of a 29-year-old Thiago Alcantara in the summer of 2020 and a 30-year-old Wataru Endo three years later do the modern Liverpool look towards older players if they can avoid doing so They place a firm emphasis on youth and on potential for improvement and But they go for quantity over quality; they don’t hedge their bets by signing five young goalkeepers and five midfielders in the hope that one or two of them prove to be the next big thing while the others can be sold on And while they do prioritise younger players it has been a different age group and a different market to the one in which Chelsea have invested so heavily in recent years Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alexis Mac Allister were 24 Dominik Szoboszlai and Darwin Nunez were 22 but the hit rate has been impressive enough over a sustained period to suggest that clubs in Liverpool’s position should be prioritising that 21-26 age group adding established up-and-coming talent to a strong core rather than taking the Chelsea approach and focusing almost exclusively on those aged between 18 and 22 The attractions of signing younger players are obvious a 26-year-old Van Dijk from Southampton for £75million when you could sign him from Celtic for £13m at the age of 24 or from Dutch club Groningen for £2.6million at the age of 21 Why sign Salah from Roma for around £44million at the age of 26 when you could sign him as a 21-year-old from FC Basel for a quarter of that sum But Chelsea did sign Salah for £11million as a 21-year-old just as they signed a young Kevin De Bruyne from Belgian club Genk two years before that And they had so many players competing for attacking positions that unable to give either of them the room to develop they were happy to make a profit by selling them to Roma and Wolfsburg respectively It is not a new story for Chelsea to be signing more young players than any club would know what to do with is that the emphasis on youth has appeared so extreme It was striking in one sense that last summer’s intake included a cluster of players in their mid-twenties — Tosin Adarabioyo Jadon Sancho and Joao Felix — but even at the time it seemed unlikely that these would prove to be the battle-hardened characters who would provide the many ingredients that Chelsea had lacked when finishing sixth under Mauricio Pochettino the previous season Pochettino said on many occasions during his unhappy spell in charge that Chelsea needed to “bring experienced players” It was one of several areas of tension between him and the club’s sporting directors now in charge of the United States national team felt he was one of the few people at the club who fully understood the complexities of the challenge they were facing having invested so heavily in so many young players Quite apart from an apparent hedging of bets in signing so many players there are questions about the desperation to get rid of others An undervaluing of their homegrown players afflicted the previous ownership regime (getting rid of Marc Guehi to mention three) but even now it is unclear why a club so hellbent on building around youth would sell Lewis Hall and Ian Maatsen The desperation to offload Trevoh Chalobah last summer was followed by a desperation to recall him from a loan deal at Crystal Palace in January The excellence of Djordje Petrovic and Andrey Santos on loan at Strasbourg this season would be easier to applaud if it were not for the suspicion Chelsea would have been better off with them in their squad Whatever the pros and cons of the decision to part company with Pochettino few would have imagined the solution would be to hire a coach of such limited experience as Maresca earning an excellent reputation while working with Manchester City’s youth team but in terms of front-line experience — 14 games in charge of Parma and 53 in charge of Leicester City — he It is easy to see why Maresca should find himself emphasising the value of learned experience of gaining that know-how by sustained exposure to top-level football can sometimes bring a level of certainty and collective belief that can help to propel a team forward But there is a naivety in imagining football to be like a video game where experience points are accumulated over time and where by unlocking one achievement (50 Premier League appearances you put yourself irresistibly on course for the next but the best teams are built around certainties — in their collective approach Look at the Manchester City team of recent years: Ederson Look at the Chelsea of the mid-2000s: Cech The hope at Stamford Bridge is that the nucleus of highly promising players they have bought over the past few years develops into a strong Caicedo is one player they could confidently build around for all the excitement they generate in every transfer window the number of certainties is alarmingly small Even with the hope that another difficult season ends on a much-needed high Before joining The Athletic as a senior writer in 2019, Oliver Kay spent 19 years working for The Times, the last ten of them as chief football correspondent. He is the author of the award-winning book Forever Young: The Story of Adrian Doherty, Football’s Lost Genius. Follow Oliver on Twitter @OliverKay Cole Palmer hit back at "social media idiots" after ending his goal drought in Chelsea's 3-1 win over Liverpool on Sunday Palmer scored 36 goals and registered 17 assists from his first 54 appearances but he had just two assists and no goals in his 12 games before facing Liverpool Palmer told Sky Sports after the win: "We played very well as a team but it just gives me more fight and motivation to do more for myself and for the team but it's only one and I've got to keep improving and try and reach new levels it feels like you're letting your team down I feel pride in helping the team and if I'm not doing that Liverpool manager Arne Slot made six changes to his lineup after securing the Premier League title last weekend but he denied his team had dropped its standards 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 In some moments a few percentages were not there." playWhat has happened to 'invisible' Cole Palmer (2:28)Steve Nicol reacts to Cole Palmer's performance in Chelsea's 1-0 win vs DAMAC Properties will be Chelsea's front-of-shirt sponsor for the rest of the season, the Premier League club confirmed on Wednesday Chelsea have spent the majority of the 2024-25 campaign with a blank space on the front of their jerseys after Infinite Athlete only sponsored their preseason fixtures But DAMAC -- a Dubai-based property development company -- will sponsor the west London side's final four Premier League games of the season, as well as their remaining Europa Conference League fixtures. Chelsea take on Djurgården in a semifinal first leg on Thursday in Stockholm DAMAC Properties will develop "first-of-its-kind football-themed branded residences" in Dubai Chelsea said in a statement that "Chelsea Residences by DAMAC is a unique project that will consist of 1,400+ residential units Each residence will have incredible seafront views along with access to the exclusive Chelsea-branded amenities that place health fitness and wellbeing at the heart of its offering." whether DAMAC will feature on the front of Chelsea's shirts for the Club World Cup which runs from June 14 through to July 13 The Blues have strolled into the last four of Europe's third most prestigious club competition topping the league phase table with six consecutive victories before knockout wins over Copenhagen and Legia Warsaw Should they topple Djurgarden in the semis—and they certainly should—they will meet either Real Betis or Fiorentina in the showpiece fixture The Conference League would mark Enzo Maresca's first piece of silverware as Chelsea manager and secure them a spot in next season's Europa League—although the latter could prove immaterial if the west London giants qualify for the Champions League via their domestic performance Djurgarden's chances of toppling Chelsea are incredibly slim despite their impressive recent European showings. They have conquered Pafos and Rapid Wien during the knockout stages under new manager Jani Honkavaara but haven't duelled a side of Chelsea's stature for many years Here is Sports Illustrated's guide to the first leg in Stockholm Djurgarden and Chelsea have never clashed in a competitive fixture before Djurgarden will need to hit their peak to stifle Chelsea / IMAGO | Steinsiek.chDjurgarden could have used the immense experience of 35-year-old former Juventus and Sampdoria midfielder Albin Ekdal but the 71-cap Sweden international could be absent after missing the weekend win over Osters with a thigh injury Patric Aslund and Malkolm Nilsson Safqvist will all be absent while Rasmus Schuller is also a significant doubt who has been missing since the quarterfinal second leg with Rapid Wien Maresca has plenty of options to choose from on Thursday / IMAGO/Newspix Chelsea will continue without the services of Wesley Fofana who is out for the remainder of the season and the French defender is joined in the treatment room by youngsters Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman Mykhailo Mudryk is still suspended having not featured for the Blues since the beginning of December while Malo Gusto is a significant doubt due to a hamstring injury and could be replaced by either Reece James or Josh Acheampong in the starting lineup Maresca could still rotate in the semis as Chelsea chase a top five Premier League finish Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tosin Adarabioyo potentially coming into the team Chelsea predicted lineup vs Djurgarden (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Acheampong Chelsea have had few issues dismantling their inferior European opponents Djurgarden have made a mixed start to Honkavaara's reign—winning five drawing two and losing five since his December appointment—and they stand little chance of subduing Maresca's side Chelsea aren't in particularly impressive form but they have still the depth and firepower to unlock Djurgarden's defence especially considering both teams have only scored in one of the home side's last nine matches in all competitions EWAN ROSS-MURRAYEwan Ross-Murray is is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer who focuses primarily on the Premier League. Ewan was born in Leicester, but his heart, and club allegience, belongs to Liverpool. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) would be open to ground sharing Allianz Stadium Twickenham with Chelsea if the Premier League club redevelop Stamford Bridge RFU CEO Bill Sweeney said such a plan would need to overcome the sizeable hurdle of getting sign-off from the local council The RFU has spoken openly about its eagerness to stage more non-rugby events at Twickenham and Chelsea have previously mentioned the 82,000-capacity ground as an option for a temporary home if they opt to refurbish and expand Stamford Bridge Chelsea could play at Allianz Stadium Twickenham while their Stamford Bridge home is redeveloped. Bob Bradford - CameraSport via Getty ImagesChelsea referenced the home of English rugby as a possible option in 2017 amid talks over whether they were going to redevelop Stamford Bridge or look to an alternative venue for a new home If they opted to use Twickenham as an interim base, such a ground-share would bring a welcome cash windfall to the RFU who made a record loss last year But Sweeney said the whole arrangement would need to be rubberstamped by the council who would be sympathetic to "sensitive" local residents the RFU would need to change the existing rules around the number of non-rugby events it's allowed to stage at Twickenham it would open the possibility of other sports using the stadium as a temporary home there have been conversations previously about possible Premiership [sic] clubs coming here," Sweeney told reporters on Monday Richmond borough is more concerned about that "I just think in terms of impact on local residents numbers of fans and so on they're a little bit more sensitive I know Richmond borough would have a conversation about that though." 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' How Give Your Best aims to solve clothing poverty in the UK 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 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 (1:25)Mark Donaldson and Don Hutchinson question Mikel Arteta's selection vs Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men's January grades | Women's January grades but -- with a £50m release clause written into his contract -- appears to be headed for one of Europe's elite clubs once the transfer window opens Antony could bolster Mikel Arteta's wide options and United are willing to let him go to help reduce their wage bill it is suggested that the novelty of playing abroad "has worn off" for the 23-year-old The disgraced former Manchester United player has recently been criticised by coach Roberto De Zerbi and OM's fans play2:21Would Kevin De Bruyne thrive in the MLS?The ESPN FC crew discuss which club would suit Kevin De Bruyne the most when he leaves Manchester City - Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa are all holding internal talks about making a move to sign free agent Kevin De Bruyne. The 33-year-old is finishing the season strongly having announced that he will leave Manchester City. (TBR) - Oleksandr Zinchenko looks set to leave Arsenal in the summer with Borussia Dortmund increasingly confident of getting a deal over the line. (Football Insider) - Villa are stepping up their interest in FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa as they look unlikely to trigger the clause to make Marcus Rashford's loan from Manchester United permanent, claims . Villa have been watching 20-year-old Aghehowa since he moved from Atlético Madrid in the summer. (The Sun) - Villa are also looking at Atlético Madrid's Rodrigo De Paul. The Argentina international, 30, only has one year left on his contract with Atletico Madrid, who are open to offers. AC Milan are an alternative destination for the World Cup-winning midfielder. (Birmingham Mail) - Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Axel Tape is open to joining Bayer Leverkusen as a free agent, with the Bundesliga club seeing the 17-year-old as a top player for the future. This comes despite Premier League interest. (Florian Plettenberg) - Victor Osimhen has suggested he could stay at Galatasaray beyond this season. The Nigeria striker, 26, is on loan in Turkey from Napoli and has scored 33 goals in 37 matches for the Istanbul giants. Heavily linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, Osimhen has said he "wants to continue to make [the Galatasaray fans] proud". (Daily Mirror) - Real Madrid is looking to move on David Alaba this summer. The Austria international is now 32 and has struggled with injuries over the last two seasons. The Club World Cup could be his last involvement with the Spanish giants. (Estadio Deportivo) - Newcastle and Aston Villa are both keen on Bilal El Khannous. Despite being relegated with Leicester, the Morocco attacking midielder, 20, is coveted by the Champions League-chasing pair. El Khannous has scored three goals and made five assists in 34 appearances since joining the Foxes from Belgian club Genk last summer. (Caught Offside) - Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers, Brighton forward Joao Pedro and Ipswich striker Liam Delap are not on Arne Slot's shortlist for Liverpool signings this summer, contrary to other reports. (Daily Mail) - Newly promoted Leeds United have been given the green light by Newcastle to make a move for Sean Longstaff. The 27-year-old central midfielder has become a peripheral figure at St James' Park and Daniel Farke is looking to add Premier League experience to his squad. (Shields Gazette) - Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, 22, could leave Arsenal for FC Copenhagen this summer. With the Gunners looking to bring in new forwards, the striker has been deemed surplus to requirements at the Emirates after just two appearances this season. (Football Insider) 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 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 Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea were hungry to increase their Champions League qualification hopes and found their way past champions Liverpool in a 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday RECAP, HIGHLIGHTS — Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool The Blues handed the Reds just their third loss of the season and thickened the already-heavy fight for a place in next season’s UCL as Cole Palmer ended his long goalless drought and the Blues came out of the traps on fire thanks to captain Enzo Fernandez At the end of the season you need to win games Against this team that once again showed why they are so good something we don’t like and we don’t plan but the players did very well.” “We plan the game trying to be always aggressive on the opposite side Sometimes the opponent can force you away from that with a different plan.” Cole Palmer’s Man of the Match performance: “Cole he will get better and better in these moments on his journey Liverpool forced tactical change: “We didn’t plan the game to wait and defend deep but before they are so good once again they showed why they won the Premier League “I’m very impressed with all the players since we started It’s not easy since Day One to go aggressive everyone is thinking they have done fantastic Is it more important to qualify for UCL at this club than other clubs Chelsea has to fight for Champions League and also in the future we can find for something more important.” A Division of NBCUniversal. 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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 Enzo Maresca's side were seemingly blossoming into title contenders off the back of their defeat at Anfield, but an unproductive Christmas preceded a sluggish start to the new year. As a result, Chelsea have long earmarked a spot in next season's Champions League as their primary goal and a five-game unbeaten run in the top-flight leaves the Blues in fifth ahead of Liverpool's visit The hosts are poised to benefit from the Reds' early coronation with Arne Slot already noting that his final four lineups to conclude the season will look different to the teams which inspired Liverpool to league title #20 While the visitors are hunting a 90-point haul, Chelsea are in need of a positive result to bolster their top-five hopes High-profile duels are set to litter Sunday's fixture and here are three key battles which could prove decisive in determining the victor Mohamed Salah is aiming to break the Premier League's single-season goal involvements record / IMAGO / NurPhotoSlot may well make changes to his starting XI on Sunday but there's not a chance that Mohamed Salah won't line up from the outset in west London The Egyptian has embarked on a historic individual season and has been the main man in Liverpool's title triumph. He's just two goal contributions away from breaking the Premier League's single-season record and the long-standing assist record may be under threat Salah hasn't been all that productive in recent weeks, but he had a field day against Spurs last time out and will be aiming to wreak havoc against another London opponent this weekend Liverpool's star will see plenty of Marc Cucurella at the Bridge with the Spaniard developing into a favourite of Maresca's While the pair will undoubtedly duel one-on-one Cucurella's tendency to advance and even crash the box means there's scope for Salah to run riot in transition (in the space voided by the left-back) The winger has been ever so decisive this term and while he's no one-on-one specialist his evolution as a playmaker means he can hurt Chelsea from seemingly unfavourable positions Cucurella is a pest of a defender who can frustrate the league's best could have his way with the Chelsea left-back Nicolas Jackson scored at Anfield in the reverse fixture / IMAGO / PA ImagesJackson hadn't scored since 15 December when Everton rocked up to Stamford Bridge last week but Chelsea's starting striker ended his drought with what proved to be the game's decisive strike The Senegalese international's finish following a turnover on the halfway line was taken with impressive conviction and supporters must be hopeful of a productive conclusion to 2024-25 for their #15 His brace in midweek suggests Jackson has rediscovered his scoring touch He was on the scoresheet in the reverse fixture and has a big role to play on Sunday While Jackson is an excellent channel runner capable of outmanoeuvring Virgil van Dijk and the similarly powerful Ibrahima Konate the striker should aim to enjoy himself between the lines opening up plenty of room for Jackson to serve as Chelsea's focal point in central areas Konate and Van Dijk won't want to follow the striker into deeper positions facilitating space for Jackson to turn and drive at the Reds' centre-back duo His newfound confidence bodes well for the Blues ahead of the champions' visit, and the forward's multi-faceted threat will keep Liverpool on their toes Romeo Lavia and Ryan Gravenberch are two quality operators / IMAGO / Sportimage | NurPhotoWe've seen Maresca utilise Moises Caicedo at right-back at times this season and the Ecuadorian is poised to continue there on Sunday Caicedo has the license to form a midfield pivot with Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer stationed higher upfield to create a box Caicedo's likely to partner a former Liverpool transfer target and the pair will have to be at their industrious best for the hosts to establish control in Sunday's game Only Manchester City (61.7%) boast a higher average share of possession in the Premier League than these two teams with both managers keen to keep opponents at arm's length through patient work with the ball It's bound to be a congested centre laden with press-resistant stars Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch are superb at rolling challenges and opening up the game Lavia's capacity to win duels could prove significant with Caicedo's ability to claim second balls set to be key in helping the hosts establish control This Liverpool side are not a pressing juggernaut and Chelsea should be able to enjoy prolonged possession sequences but it's going to take moments of courage and bravery to open up the Reds' block Accessing Jackson via the pulling movements of Fernandez and Palmer is set to be a distinct point of emphasis They'll also back their wide players to have joy against the Reds' full-backs Chelsea must prevail in the middle of the park 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 Get football news sent straight to your phone Chelsea managed a win over Liverpool on Sunday to aid their push for Champions League qualification Chelsea took the lead just three minutes into the game A slick passing move saw Pedro Neto tee up Enzo Fernandez who burst through the middle before firing past Alisson to give the hosts the advantage Enzo Maresca’s side then doubled their lead in the second half in bizarre circumstances but Virgil van Dijk accidentally cannoned the ball off Jarell Quansah and into the back of the net Van Dijk made up for the mistake in the 84th minute heading home from a corner to drag Liverpool to within a goal of Chelsea wrapped up the win with a penalty in the 96th minute The Athletic’s Simon Johnson and Andy Jones analyse the key talking points from the game Chelsea went into the game knowing this was probably a must-win for their Champions League hopes but beating the title winners was also a huge test of how far they have come in recent weeks Liverpool may have already clinched top spot last week and Slot’s starting line-up was missing a few of their first-choice players but no one can accuse their opponents of making life easy for Chelsea This was a real test of Chelsea’s character especially when Virgil van Dijk scored to make it 2-1 to set up a tense finish Enzo Maresca’s anxious patrolling of the touchline in the closing stages betrayed what was at stake a mood that was eased when Palmer ended his four-month goal drought from the penalty spot in injury time Chelsea have given themselves a great opportunity with three matches remaining You can imagine how this result will have affected direct top-five rivals Manchester City They would have surely expected Maresca’s men to drop points this afternoon Chelsea still have a tough task because two of their remaining matches are at Newcastle and Nottingham Forest But the key fact now is it’s in their hands Having sealed the Premier League title last weekend it is somewhat understandable that we didn’t see the best version of Liverpool against Chelsea The sharpness and intensity that have helped Arne Slot’s side cruise to the title did not feel as crisp and dynamic in a game that had little riding on it for the away side compared to their opponents The opening goal they conceded after three minutes felt like the perfect example From Harvey Elliott’s attempted press on Romeo Lavia at the start of the move to Kostas Tsimikas’ lack of aggression to stop Pedro Neto’s cutback to the unmarked Enzo Fernandez it felt like the type of tame goal Liverpool have rarely conceded this season was also a pivotal moment in the move and allowed Chelsea to overrun Liverpool’s midfield took time to settle in a rotated side with a number of key players rested further highlighting the approach to the fixture The second goal epitomised their issue on Sunday further and despite Endo’s excellent last-ditch tackle Van Dijk’s uncharacteristic clearance straight into his centre-back partner is unlikely to have happened if the league title was still on the line Liverpool arrived at Stamford Bridge aiming to win the game as they sought to break the 90-point barrier and Liverpool looked like they may sneak a point after Van Dijk’s header late on but another unforced error led to Chelsea’s third after Dominik Szoboszlai’s underhit pass was intercepted by Moises Caicedo who was brought down in the box by Quansah This was another occasion where Romeo Lavia showed the difference he makes to Chelsea Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has spoken on more than one occasion about how Chelsea were the better side when the two teams met in October at Anfield despite his side winning 2-1 Lavia was a big reason why Chelsea impressed Slot so much that day helping the visitors dominate midfield until he went off in the 53rd minute It was a bit of an action replay this afternoon who was making just his second start in four months after recovering from a muscular injury The Belgium international played a key part in Chelsea taking the lead in the third minute He shook off the attention of Diogo Jota before playing a pass into Cole Palmer’s path breaking the pressing line Liverpool had set up They didn’t recover and Fernandez took advantage There was another example of just how cool Lavia is under pressure in the 16th minute when he turned away from Curtis Jones he did it again and spread a perfectly weighted pass into Marc Cucurella’s path Chelsea just look far more balanced with him on the pitch the team that wanted to sign him from Southampton in 2023 the question was how long he could keep it up winning successive challenges on the edge of his area Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was booked for losing the second 50-50 exchange as he was guilty of leaving his boot in on the man in blue A clumsy foul on Mohamed Salah was perhaps a sign of fatigue it was still a good intervention because the former had taken up a dangerous position The subsequent free kick was easily blocked Maresca decided to make the change with 11 minutes to go had to walk past the away end on his way back to the Chelsea dugout ‘You should have signed for the champions’ Lavia just smiled and urged them to sing even louder Arne Slot said that he was planning to rotate his team in the final four games to give minutes to players who have deserved more He made six changes to his starting line-up with Jarell Quansah Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo all starting after seeing little action throughout the campaign For those trying to make a mark and give their head coach food for thought moving forward it was not the best collective performance although there were positive individual displays without any stand-outs To expect perfection was unlikely given the lack of rhythm those mentioned had due to their limited game time despite his unfortunate own goal and giving away a penalty but in a story all too familiar during his Liverpool career he missed a point-blank header from six yards out There was also a rare appearance for Federico Chiesa qualify for a Premier League winner’s medal It remains to be seen if Slot continues to give these players starts for the rest of the season or if he returns to more of those he has used regularly in the final three matches 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 33 CommentsYet another Women's Super League trophy is coming Chelsea's way The Blues wrapped up their sixth successive league title with two games to spare when they beat Manchester United on Wednesday night It is the first time in five seasons the title race has not been decided on the final day But have Chelsea really been that dominant And how does their latest triumph compare to the previous five Chelsea established themselves as the dominant force in England's top division and Sonia Bompastor has continued that legacy The club have now won six WSL titles in a row and nine overall - three times as many titles as any other side Bompastor has hit the ground running since joining the Blues with her side going unbeaten in 20 league games this term - a new record for the longest unbeaten streak in a single WSL season Excluding the inaugural WSL season in 2011 Bompastor becomes the first manager to win the title in her first season in the competition Chelsea eye records after sealing another title Only once in the past five seasons have Chelsea gone unbeaten in the WSL That was during the 2019-20 campaign when the season was suspended early because of the the coronavirus pandemic Chelsea had only played 15 games at that point and they were named WSL winners based on a points-per-game ratio If the Blues avoid defeat against Tottenham and Liverpool in their remaining two games they will become the first team to have completed an 'invincible' season twice Manchester City (2016) and Arsenal (2012) are the only other teams to have gone unbeaten in a WSL season but that was when each team played just 16 games and 14 games respectively Two more victories would also see Chelsea reach 60 points and overtake the 58 set by Hayes' Blues in 2022-23 for the highest points total in WSL history While 54 goals in 20 games might seem like a decent goals-to-game ratio Chelsea haven't been as prolific in front of the posts compared to other seasons Unless the Blues can score eight more goals in their last two games it will be their lowest goal tally since the Covid-disrupted season when they scored 47 Chelsea have become used to blowing teams away but they've often had to slog out results this time around they won 13 games by a margin of three or more goals just six of their wins have been by three or more goals Bompastor's side have won eight games by just one goal while only two of their 18 wins under Hayes last season were decided by a single goal they've left it late on plenty of occasions Almost a third of their goals this season have come in the final 15 minutes of matches - compared to 9% in the opening 15 minutes with the Blues winning eight points from losing positions - second only to Manchester City (10 points) Head here to get involved Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page View comments | 33Top storiesHis stats are better 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 This season's Premier League title also takes his trophy haul to nine which also includes the Champions League. WSL highlights: Manchester United 0-1 Chelsea 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." The numbers behind Chelsea's latest WSL title 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 Bompastor - proud of WSL title winners Chelsea "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 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 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 Please check your email for further information 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. BBC Sport women’s football news reporterPublished1 May 2025168 CommentsChelsea's dominance on English women's football continues as they wrapped up a sixth successive Women's Super League title on Wednesday With some of the best players in the world on their books Chelsea showed they remain a class above the rest in manager Sonia Bompastor's first season in charge Superstar players have taken centre stage in their title win - but who has gone under the radar in another memorable WSL campaign Here are five unsung heroes of Chelsea's title win Summer signing Sandy Baltimore arrived in London from Paris St-Germain with bags of experience in the French league and in Europe But few could have predicted just how impressive the 25-year-old's debut season at Chelsea would be Bompastor raised eyebrows when she played Baltimore as a left wing-back starting 13 and contributing to four goals in her last four games in the WSL She told BBC Sport in January: "I have more responsibility defensively to dribble and to make runs towards their goal But I am enjoying it because it's football." Baltimore's impressive form and consistency kept England left-back Niamh Charles out of the team but can also help the team move forward to create opportunities in the box It's really nice to have a player like her," said Bompastor "I know different players are competing for that left-back position she's really performing and helping the team "She is having success and it's not just in the last few weeks it was almost from the beginning of the season." Chelsea broke the world record transfer fee to sign USA centre-back Naomi Girma in January But that only seemed to provide motivation for Nathalie Bjorn who must have known her position in the team was under threat Bjorn has provided stability to Chelsea's defence with only Manchester United conceding fewer goals throughout the campaign Asked if she had gone under the radar this season She's been incredible for us and is a vital part of the changing room "She keeps everyone together and sometimes that goes unnoticed a little bit as well She has had a fantastic season and is so easy to play alongside She is such a team player and as long as the team performs and wins Chelsea signed Wieke Kaptein from FC Twente in 2023 and she returned there on loan for the 2023-24 season One of Chelsea's brightest youngsters is Wieke Kaptein who signed from FC Twente in 2023 and returned there for a season on loan The 19-year-old has been a surprise standout under Bompastor often praised for her work off the ball and how she reads the game She has been trusted in the big matches and given responsibility starting in key games against Manchester United Bompastor said: "I am so happy to have her in my squad She has a lot of energy as a person and as a player "She is someone who always wants to have some advice from the staff and the coaches she already has a lot of experience as a player." One of the biggest changes to the Chelsea side under Bompastor is a consistent number one Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has stepped up to the task performing when it matters and picking up the Player of the Match award in their title-winning match against Manchester United Bompastor has encouraged her side to play out from the back and adopt a less direct approach and Hampton's distribution has proven to be vital in that "Hampton is probably the best keeper with the ball at her feet Technically she starts off a lot of Chelsea's attacking play," said former England striker Natasha Dowie on BBC Radio 5 Live Ex-Scotland defender Jen Beattie added: "She's been huge You have all the history of Chelsea winning but it's Hannah Hampton's first season of success It's a big jersey to fill but she has been awesome for this team." Scotland midfielder Erin Cuthbert does not always get the spotlight but she remains a crucial member of the squad The 26-year-old has been involved in all six of Chelsea's successive title wins and has made almost 150 appearances for the club She has a habit of popping up in the big moments - scoring in their Women's FA Cup semi-final victory over Liverpool and providing the stoppage-time winner that sealed a 2-1 result at Manchester City in March Her experience and leadership has been evident again this season and she was soaking up their success after Wednesday's latest title win when they lost at Liverpool and they thought they had thrown the league title away I remember seeing Cuthbert on the pitch crying," said Dowie "You saw how much it meant to her to win this title even though they had already won it for four years in a row How Chelsea extended dynasty with latest WSL title Chelsea secure sixth successive WSL title at Man Utd View comments | 168Top storiesHis stats are better 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.’ Liverpool make six changes for today’s Premier League clash at Chelsea. The champions hand starts to Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo and Curtis Jones at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, Diogo Jota, Kostas Tsimikas and Jarell Quansah also come into the Reds’ line-up for the penultimate away trip of the 2024-25 season. Liverpool: Alisson, Endo, Van Dijk, Salah, Jones, Gakpo, Elliott, Jota, Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah. Subs: Kelleher, Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Nunez, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Robertson, Bradley. 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 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'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