Liverpool Become England’s Champions After 30 Years After Chelsea Beat City

LONDON (United Kingdom): The Reds’ first league title since 1990 was confirmed on Thursday after Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City lost 2-1 to Frank Lampard led Chelsea win at Stamford Bridge

Liverpool have ended their long wait to be crowned Premier League champions after Manchester City’s 2-1 loss at Chelsea left them with an unassailable lead.

With seven games remaining, it is the earliest any side has ever won the Premier League title, with Jurgen Klopp’s men surpassing the achievements of Manchester United in 2000-01 and Manchester City’s ‘centurions’ of 2017-18. Both of those teams clinched the league with five games left.

Christian Pulisic’s goal had given Chelsea to lead before a wonderful Kevin De Bruyne sparked hopes of a comeback, but Fernandinho’s late red card led to a coolly converted penalty to win the game – and gift Liverpool league glory.

Raheem Sterling and Pulisic then went very close at either end, before an intervention from VAR handed us the opportunity to seize control.

While much of the attention will focus on Liverpool’s coronation, this was a mighty impressive Chelsea victory that maintains our five-point advantage over fifth-placed Manchester United. The performance will please Frank Lampard just as much, with his side markedly the better after the two drinks breaks.

The visitors started without a recognised striker, interchanging their forward players throughout, and it was they who settled the quicker, although Kepa was untroubled until kicking a low cross away with nine minutes played.

Chelsea burst into life shortly afterwards with Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic cleverly combining in the centre circle to create space. Cesar Azpilicueta freed Willian whose low centre was cleared for a corner that Mason Mount volleyed high into the Shed.

There was a scare for the Blues when a Kepa pass landed short, giving Bernardo Silva a sight of goal, but thankfully he was crowded out. The keeper was quickly back at his best, tipping a Fernandinho header over.

After a drinks break that proved something of a turning point in the first half, Ross Barkley had a fierce strike blocked at the end of a move in which Willian and Marcos Alonso starred.

There was certainly space to be had behind a very high City rearguard, and we nearly capitalised on it on the half-hour. Ross Barkley strode into space and crossed, with Giroud and Pulisic again neatly exchanging passes before the latter’s shot was deflected back into Barkley’s path. His effort was cleared from near the goal-line, and from the resulting corner Christensen’s header was kept out by Ederson, with Azpilicueta slashing the rebound over.

So it wasn’t a great surprise when we took the lead on 36 minutes. Again it was a counter-attack that caused problems. De Bruyne’s free-kick was cleared to halfway and Mendy and Ilkay Gundogan miscommunicated, with Pulisic snaffling up the loose ball.

Ten yards inside his own half, the American still had plenty to do. What followed was pure perfection. He first scurried past Gundogan, and then invited a challenge from Mendy before skipping beyond him and racing clear. With just Ederson to beat now, Pulisic sublimely curled his finish inside the right-hand post.

Liverpool had moved to the brink of the title with a 4-0 battering of Crystal Palace at Anfield on Wednesday, and their lead of 23 points at the top of the table is the largest held by a champion in English top-flight history.

Klopp’s side will now look to write even more history. They need 15 points from their last seven matches to set a new record points total for a top-flight campaign, and can also become the first team to win every single home game in a single season.

They will be given a guard of honour in their next fixture, which coincidentally comes against City at the Etihad Stadium next Thursday. Guardiola’s side, champions in each of the last two seasons, have been unable to match Liverpool’s remarkable, relentless form.

from League of India