Ian Doyle with the main talking point from Liverpool's Premier League clash at home to Chelsea on Saturday afternoon
Fans of Liverpool leave the stadium during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on May 09, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Fans of Liverpool leave the stadium during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on May 09, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
View Image
The protests from the Anfield crowd against the planned increase in ticket prices may have this week been quelled by a compromise from Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group.
But when it comes to Arne Slot's struggling team, there appears very little appetite for criticism to be halted.
Small wonder given the drivel that was served up for much of this turgid, dismal, depressing and, sadly, almost inevitable encounter against a Chelsea side who went into the game on the back of six consecutive losses.
That it was the visiting team taking the plaudits from their fans long after the final whistle highlighted how Liverpool had missed an opportunity to determine their own destiny by putting more than just a foot into next season's Champions League.
Author avatar
Author avatar
Instead, the prospect of a desperate season continuing into the final two games was simply too much for some supporters to bear, many of those who hadn't already scarpered greeting the final whistle with a chorus of boos.
In truth, there had been discontent long, long before on a painful afternoon, most notably when Liverpool willingly offered Chelsea the initiative that eventually invited Enzo Fernandez to strike a comedy equaliser.
Laughs, though, have been in short supply at Anfield in the Premier League this campaign, with needless points dropped in draws against Sunderland, Leeds United, Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur and now this poor Chelsea team. And that's before taking into account defeats to Manchester United and City and, of course, that alarming Nottingham Forest reverse. A fortress it is not.
Should Liverpool somehow allow Champions League qualification to slip through their fingers, it's the home form that will have sealed their fate.
The paucity of quality on offering from both teams - one the outgoing Premier League title holders with the others still proudly declaring themselves world champions - was shocking. Best league in the world, don't forget.
But the sole concern of those who continue to pay their hard-earned to watch Liverpool is the performance of a team that, with the finishing line in sight, remains unable to put together anything like a 90-minute display in the division.
The one moment of hope came with Ryan Gravenberch's brilliant early opener that should have settled any nerves. Instead, it just heightened them. Anfield is not a happy place and this season can't end soon enough.