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
View image in fullscreenCole 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
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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. (Kick-off podcast), external
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
View image in fullscreenEnzo 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
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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.”
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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."
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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)
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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
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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)
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View comments | 33Top storiesHis stats are better
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Ciaran Wiseman
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
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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
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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
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