Liverpool’s Premier League title celebration was short-lived after Chelsea handed them a 3-1 defeat. The Reds were given a guard of honor before kickoff in their 35th league game. Enzo Fernández scored the opening goal in the third minute, assisted by Pedro Neto.
A shocking turn of events
Diogo Jota and Jarell Quansah started the game. Quansah only made his third league start. However, things took a turn for the worse for Liverpool when Quansah scored an own goal in the 56th minute. Van Dijk tried to clear the ball, but it hit Quansah and went into the net.
Van Dijk did score a consolation goal for Liverpool in the 85th minute with a simple header. But Quansah’s mistakes continued when he fouled Caicedo, giving Chelsea a penalty. Cole Palmer scored from the spot in the 90th+6 minute, a feat he hadn’t achieved since January 14.
Aftermath and implications
This win moved Chelsea to fifth place, intensifying the battle for a Champions League spot. Liverpool became the fourth team to lose their first game after winning the Premier League title. The other teams to suffer this fate were Arsenal in 1997/98, Chelsea in 2005/06, and Liverpool themselves in 2019/20.