Liverpool 5-3 Chelsea: Champions make Chelsea wait to secure top-four finish after title-party thriller

Report and free highlights as Anfield defeat leaves Chelsea needing a point on final day against Wolves to secure top-four spot

Gerard Brand

@gedbrand10

Thursday 23 July 2020 14:13, UK

Liverpool got their Premier League trophy-lift party started on the pitch with a thrilling 5-3 win over Chelsea at Anfield, meaning the Blues' top-four hopes go to the final day.

A draw would have secured Champions League football next season for Chelsea, but they capitulated in the first half as Liverpool got the party started early through Naby Keita's stunner (23), Trent Alexander-Arnold's fine free-kick (38) and Gini Wijnaldum's volley (43).

Olivier Giroud pulled one back before the break (45+3), but the goals kept coming as Roberto Firmino headed home Alexander-Arnold's wicked delivery for 4-1 (55), before sub Tammy Abraham reduced the deficit again following fellow sub Christian Pulisic's brilliant assist (61).

Pulisic was at his best again as he brought Chelsea to within one with a fine turn and shot to make it 4-3 (73), but Liverpool showed their superiority once more as a blistering break ended in sub Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain turning home Andrew Robertson's centre (85).

Chelsea remain in fourth following Manchester United's 1-1 draw with West Ham earlier on Wednesday, and both Chelsea and United need a point in their final game to secure a Champions League spot. Chelsea host Wolves, and Manchester United go to Leicester, who need to win to secure a top-four spot.

Player ratings

Liverpool: Alisson (5), Alexander-Arnold (8), Gomez (6), Van Dijk (6), Robertson (7), Keita (7), Fabinho (7), Wijnaldum (7), Mane (6), Firmino (7), Salah (6)

Subs: Milner (5), Jones (5), Oxlade-Chamberlain (NA), Minamino (NA), Origi (NA)

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga (4), James (5), Azpilicueta (5), Zouma (5), Rudiger (5), Alonso (5), Jorginho (5), Kovacic (5), Kovacic (5), Willian (6), Mount (6), Giroud (6)

Subs: Abraham (6), Pulisic (8), Hudson-Odoi (7), Emerson (NA)

Man of the match: Alexander-Arnold

How Liverpool marked coronation in style

Chelsea were handed a major boost before kick-off after Manchester United could only draw 1-1 with West Ham at Old Trafford, meaning Frank Lampard's side could secure a top-four spot with a draw at Anfield.

But Chelsea's vibe was anything put positive as they crumbled in the first half. The aggressive Keita robbed the ball in midfield and drove an unstoppable 20-yard effort past Kepa Arrizabalaga and into the top-right corner, his first Premier League Anfield goal since April 2019.

Liverpool soon made it 2-0 in controversial fashion as referee Andre Marriner awarded the champions a free-kick in shooting range, despite Mateo Kovacic getting the ball in a challenge with Sadio Mane, a decision which angered Lampard as he disputed the decision with opposite number Jurgen Klopp. But Alexander-Arnold, the set-piece specialist, cared not, and curled a stunner into the top-right corner from 25 yards, his third free-kick goal of the campaign.

It was 3-0 just five minutes later as Chelsea capitulated defensively; from an Alexander-Arnold corner, Chelsea failed to clear, and despite the ball hitting Jorginho's arm twice, Wijnaldum took matters into his own hands and slammed home a volley into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Chelsea were given a lifeline just before the break as Giroud turned home on the line after Willian's effort was parried by Alisson, but they showed no sign of shoring up in defence after the restart.

After shifting away from Antonio Rudiger, Mo Salah got his finish all wrong when through on goal, poking well wide of the left-hand post, but Liverpool soon regained their three-goal cushion, though, and it was relief for their No 9.

Firmino scored his first Anfield goal of the season in the Premier League, latching onto Alexander-Arnold's exquisite right-wing delivery to head past Arrizabalaga, meaning the right-back has 13 assists this season, one more than last term.

Chelsea rang the changes, making three substitutions instantly, and two were involved in their second goal as Pulisic made a sublime run through three Liverpool challenges before squaring for Abraham to score.

As fireworks surrounded Anfield from fans outside, the fireworks continued on the pitch. Pulisic injected life into Chelsea, and was at it again moments later as he whistled an effort inches wide of the far post, but he was more accurate to make it 4-3, collecting with his back to goal and driving brilliantly into the top-right corner from 10 yards after Callum Hudson-Odoi's centre.

Chelsea huffed and puffed, but Liverpool countered to kill off the game; Robertson skipped past Jorginho on the left and crossed far post to Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose first-time finish flew past Arrizabalaga.

Liverpool were ruthless and aggressive, as they have been for the majority of a momentous season, marking their coronation in style, while Chelsea must wait one more game to cap off a season of relative success for Lampard.

What the managers said...

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp's message to fan: "If you cannot see that we do this for you then I cannot help you, really. Five years ago, I asked you to change from doubters to believers. I asked and you did it.

"You made us champions. Thank you very much. We should all celebrate. Drink what you want but you have you to prepare for a party when this b******t virus is gone. Then we will have a party all together. Make sure you are ready then."

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard: "It was an extraordinary game. Even when you say they threatened to run away with it, I felt we were in it. I could feel that in the way we were playing.

"Some of the stuff I saw tonight from our team was resilience and quality. At 4-3, if we didn't concede the fifth, I felt like we were coming. But it wasn't to be."

On a disagreement with Klopp: "For me, it wasn't a foul from Kovacic, and there were a lot of things that weren't going our way. But I've not got a problem with Jurgen Klopp. The way he's managed this team has been fantastic.

"Fair play to Liverpool Football Club, they've won the league, but also don't get too arrogant with it. That was my point, but it's done. In match play, you can get emotional and that was it."

Opta stats

Liverpool have amassed 55 points from the 57 available to them at Anfield in this season's Premier League (P19 W18 D1 L0), the joint-most any side has earned at home in a campaign in the competition (alongside Chelsea in 2005-06, Man Utd in 2010-11 and Man City in 2011-12).
Only Aston Villa (0) have kept fewer clean sheets away from home than Chelsea (1) in this season's Premier League; indeed, this is Chelsea's outright lowest number of shutouts away from home in a single season in the competition.
Liverpool have remained unbeaten at Anfield in three consecutive league seasons for the first time in the club's history.
Only bottom-placed Norwich City (12) have conceded more Premier League goals from corner situations than Chelsea (10) this season.

What's next?

Liverpool now go to Newcastle on the final day of the season at 4pm on Sunday, while Chelsea are at home to Wolves at Stamford Bridge at the same time, live on Sky Sports Premier League.