The Albany Gazette - Chelsea beat champions Liverpool to boost top five push

Enzo Maresca's side took the lead through Enzo Fernandez's early strike at Stamford Bridge.

Jarell Quansah's second half own goal was followed by Virgil van Dijk's late reply for Liverpool.

Cole Palmer's stoppage-time penalty condemned the champions to only their third league defeat this season.

While lacklustre Liverpool had little to play for after winning a record-equalling 20th English crown with a 5-1 rout of Tottenham last weekend, Chelsea had every incentive to secure a priceless three points.

Hoping to return to the Champions League via a top five finish, the Blues sit in fifth place, level on points with fourth-placed Newcastle after their 1-1 draw at Brighton earlier on Sunday.

Sixth-placed Nottingham Forest will join Chelsea and Newcastle on 63 points if they beat Crystal Palace on Monday.

Third-placed Manchester City are only one point clear of Chelsea and, with three games left, the top five battle is set for a thrilling finale.

Chelsea are back in action in the UEFA Conference League semi-final second leg against Djurgardens on Thursday, with the Blues holding a 4-1 lead that should be enough to send them to the first final of Maresca's reign.

Liverpool's only other league losses in a triumphant campaign came against Nottingham Forest in September and at Fulham in April.

On another fruitless trip to west London, Arne Slot's men played as though the title party had left them groggy.

Chelsea's players lined up to give Liverpool a guard of honour when the Reds walked onto the pitch before kick-off.

- Lethargic Liverpool -

The gesture of respect didn't go down so well with large sections of the Chelsea fanbase, who booed as Liverpool made their entrance.

It was a much-changed line-up that paraded through the divisive welcome after Slot rested Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Andrew Robertson and Ibrahima Konate in a move that won't have gone down well with Chelsea's top five rivals.

Liverpool supporters in one corner of Stamford Bridge revelled in their new status, chanting "champions" and waving banners with references to their 20 titles.

But it took just three minutes for Chelsea to take the lead as Pedro Neto's cross picked out Fernandez and the unmarked Argentine midfielder slotted home from eight yards with Liverpool's defence in disarray.

Noni Madueke was inches away from doubling Chelsea's advantage moments later, the winger scuffing his shot just wide of the far post after dancing through the Reds back four with ease.

Chelsea were a constant threat and Nicolas Jackson's cross clanged off the crossbar before Neto drilled narrowly wide after a dangerous raid.

Maresca's men struck again in bizarre fashion in the 56th minute.

Palmer muscled his way past Kostas Tsimikas into the Liverpool area for a low cross that Madueke couldn't convert.

In the scramble that followed, Van Dijk made a hurried clearance that smacked into Quansah and rebounded into the net.

Alisson Becker saved well from Jadon Sancho before Palmer hit the post as Chelsea turned the screw.

Van Dijk thumped a header past Robert Sanchez from Mac Allister's 85th minute corner.

But it was too late to save Liverpool from a rare defeat as Quansah tripped Moises Caicedo and Palmer converted the penalty for his first goal since January.

(A.Johnson--TAG)