Liverpool might have won the Premier League title already, doing so with four games to spare, but the Reds wanted to end the campaign on a high. Making changes against Chelsea, though, that didn't prove possible at Stamford Bridge.
Goals from Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer, either side of an own-goal from Jarell Quansah, gave Chelsea a 3-1 victory to boost its Champions League qualification hopes. Virgil van Dijk pulled one back for Liverpool but it was too little, too late.
Arne Slot is hopeful that his players can pick up more points before the end of the season, with Arsenal, Brighton and Crystal Palace to come. Here is what the UK national media made of Liverpool's defeat, Palmer's brilliance, and the guard of honor that preceded it.
Daily Mail: "To most of those of a red persuasion at Stamford Bridge, this felt like an exhibition match. Liverpool were poor but no one seemed to care too much, certainly not the away end where balloons were held up spelling out the word 'champions' and they went through their entire songbook to toast their heroes on the pitch.
"Arne Slot's men had travelled by rail from Runcorn to London on Saturday. After some shoddy touches and wayward passes, one wondered if they had disembarked in the capital and headed across the road to the Euston Tap to begin a night on the tiles.
"While this game, result and display does not matter at all to most Liverpool fans, it was a chance to shine for the back-up brigade. A big summer awaits in the transfer market and, in many cases, players are fighting to prove to Slot they can contribute next season. None of them passed with flying colours - but they did not fail either, and will get more chances in the coming weeks."
Virgil van Dijk scored a Liverpool consolation.
Virgil van Dijk scored a Liverpool consolation. (Image: HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)
The Independent: "Having been forced to watch the new champions walk on, Cole Palmer then made everyone look at his own footwork. The playmaker's performance in Chelsea's 3-1 win over Liverpool was a timely reminder of his quality, and that was long before he scored his first goal in almost four months to clinch it.
"Palmer knows that is the sort of stage he should be on. Chelsea know they have to keep getting there to ward off any potential agitation, or suitors.
"It was why there was extra edge to the home side's guard of honour for Liverpool. The Chelsea supporters of course booed it, and many fans would say there is an argument that this kind of obligation should be done away with in a tribal sport like football.
"It was hard not to wonder what a player like Palmer feels in such a moment. Surely, that it should be him being feted as a champion?
"Palmer duly dominated an occasion that had a lot of pageantry around it, in turn reminding everyone there was a football match with proper stakes here, and what a footballer he is."
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge on May 4, 2025
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge on May 4, 2025 (Image: 2025 Jacques Feeney/Offside/Getty Images)
The Guardian: "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, bonus money, Fifa money, Dazn money, Saudi money. 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.
"And also Palmer, a captive spirit on the right, but still the architect of this victory, even if watching him in this Chelsea team can feel a bit like watching Salvador Dalí pretend to be an accountant, diligently filing documents, notarising things, and all the while secretly painting a cup of fur under his desk."
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The Times: "The goal drought is over, the burden, at last, is lifted. For Chelsea and Enzo Maresca, victory over Liverpool was a vital fillip in their hunt for Champions League football, but that was eclipsed by the importance of a 95th-minute penalty, scored by their talisman, Cole Palmer.
"For 95 minutes, the 22-year-old had put aside his personal goalmouth struggles and lifted his team to what may be a crucial win, one that lifted Chelsea level on points with Newcastle United in fourth ahead of a huge clash at St James’ Park next week.
"But when Jarell Quansah capped off a miserable, albeit inconsequential, afternoon by clipping Moisés Caicedo in the box, he handed Chelsea the boost they truly needed. Palmer’s conviction in front of goal has deserted him for the past four months, a goal drought lasting 18 games."