**_LONDON_**: Goal difference and even goals scored could prove decisive in resolving the Premier League’s remaining Champions League slots behind Liverpool and, probably, Arsenal.
Five teams are chasing three spots and Chelsea underlined their ambition with a 3-1 defeat of the champions-elect which lifted them one point behind Manchester City and level with Newcastle.
The Magpies had needed a late penalty from Alex Isak to rescue a 1-1 draw with Brighton. They lead Chelsea by just four goals scored while both are only three points ahead of Nottingham Forest, who play Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace on Monday, and Aston Vllla.
Chelsea were good value for the three points but were assisted by a Liverpool team playing as if already thinking ahead to their celebratory open-top bus tour and then summer holidays.
Maresca’s young Chelsea squad provided Liverpool with a guard of honour before kickoff but will not want to repeat the experience. As he said: “It’s a tradition First of all, they won the league, so they deserve that, and hopefully we can be there as champions very soon.”
This depends not so much on Maresca but on Chelsea’s management. Owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital give the impression of building their squad without reference to team managers who come and go at high speed.
Maresca, a surprise appointment last year after leading Leicester to promotion, is the Blues’ sixth manager in three seasons which have seen the club spend £1.1bn on new players without winning anything. This can change within the next weeks with Chelsea favourites to win the UEFA Conference League.
That success, in itself, will not guarantee Maresca’s continuance but a fifth-place finish might reward him because it would spell Champions League entry. Hence yesterday’s Stamford Bridge duel was far more important for Chelsea than for Liverpool. The champions-elect, according to their manager Arne Slot, are thinking now about next season.
Chelsea, lined up by Maresca in a 4-1-3-2 formation, immediately ditched their respect for the champions. Anchor man Romeo Lavia fed Cole Palmer who sent Pedro Neto down the right wing to outflank the Liverpool defence and cross. Captain Enzo Fernandez controlled the ball with his left foot and shot past Alisson with his right. Less than three minutes had passed.
Liverpool, disturbed by six changes from the team who had put five goals past Tottenham, survived a couple more scares. Gradually they increased their share of possession in midfield, with Wataru Endo busy. Chelsea continued to threaten with their counter-attacking pace and Palmer shot into the side netting just before halftime.
Palmer played a key role as Chelsea extended their lead with a messy goal 10 minutes into the second half. His right-wing cross caught Liverpool’s defence in confusion, Van Dijk cleared off the goal-line only to see the ball ricochet against Jarell Quansah and back into the net.
Slot brought on Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Nunez as Liverpool, at long last, began to produce some attacking spark. Salah, otherwise anonymous, headed wide across goal before Van Dijk pulled one back.
The goal maintained Liverpool’s record of scoring in every away league game but was not enough to deny Chelsea the victory secured by the penalty which provided the outstanding Palmer with his first goal in 19 games.
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