Chelsea’s CL Qualification Still In Jeopardy After 5-3 Loss To Already Champions Liverpool

Chelsea, again, threw their Champions League qualification in jeorpardy when they lost 5-3 to a Liverpool that had already been crowned champions.

Chelsea now need at least a draw from their last match against Wolves on Sunday.

Chelsea started well but Liverpool moved through the gears after Naby Keita broke the deadlock with a rising 25-yard drive that thundered in off the bar, and they added further first-half goals – a fine Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick and Georginio Wijnaldum’s powerful strike.

Olivier Giroud scrambled in for Chelsea on the stroke of half-time but their hopes of a comeback appeared to be snuffed out 10 minutes after the break, when Roberto Firmino headed in his first league goal of the season at Anfield from Alexander-Arnold’s cross.

Substitute Christian Pulisic then had a dramatic impact as he sparked a Chelsea fightback, creating a goal for Tammy Abraham then scoring another himself on the turn as this entertaining game took an unexpected turn.

To the thunderous sound of fireworks being let off outside Anfield by celebrating fans, the champions pressed forward again and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain slammed home the fifth from Andy Robertson’s cross with six minutes left.

And then it was time for the ceremony Liverpool have waited three decades to enjoy – albeit conducted in the somewhat surreal surroundings of a virtually empty stadium.