EPL: Palmer ends goal drought as Chelsea
Cole Palmer brought an end to his prolonged goal drought in spectacular fashion, converting a stoppage-time penalty to help Chelsea secure a crucial 3-1 win over Premier League champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer, who earned the man-of-the-match award, delivered a standout performance and netted his first goal in 19 matches, restoring calm late on after Virgil van Dijk’s header had sparked hope of a comeback for the visitors.
The Dutchman’s effort came in response to an own goal from Jarell Quansah, which followed an early finish by Enzo Fernandez.
The influential England international had last scored during Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on January 14. His latest strike propelled Chelsea to a fourth consecutive win across all competitions, keeping them level on points and goal difference with Newcastle, who sit just ahead in fifth place by virtue of goals scored.
Earlier on Sunday, the Magpies had secured a dramatic draw against Brighton through a late Alexander Isak penalty.
A win for sixth-place Nottingham Forest at Crystal Palace on Monday night would create a three-way tie at 63 points, intensifying the chase for a Champions League spot.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa remained in seventh on 60 points after their victory over Fulham on Saturday.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca opted for the same starting lineup that edged Everton in their last Premier League outing.
Nicolas Jackson, who had not scored since December, was on target, while goalkeeper Robert Sanchez returned after missing Thursday’s 4-1 Conference League semi-final victory over Djurgarden due to injury. Christopher Nkunku was still unavailable.
On the other side, Liverpool manager Arne Slot honored his commitment to squad rotation after clinching the title last weekend.
He made six changes, introducing Jarell Quansah, Kostas Tsimikas, Wataru Endo, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, and Diogo Jota. Regulars like Ibrahima Konate, Andy Robertson, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Luis Diaz dropped to the bench. Notably, it was the first league start this season in midfield for both Endo and Elliott.
Following a customary guard of honour from Chelsea, Liverpool’s reshuffled lineup lacked early spark and were punished within three minutes.
Fernandez slotted home to finish a flowing move involving Romeo Lavia, Palmer, and Pedro Neto, scoring the fastest Premier League goal at Stamford Bridge since 2017.
Noni Madueke nearly doubled the lead shortly after but scuffed his shot wide. Liverpool began to press through Jota and Cody Gakpo, while Alisson narrowly avoided disaster when he raced out and collided with Jackson, only to be saved by the offside flag.
Salah missed a back-post cross and Fernandez sent a header over before Neto’s penalty shout was dismissed following a tangle with Tsimikas.
Chelsea’s defense stood firm as Liverpool pushed back, with Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella making key interventions. Neto’s volley was blocked from a corner, and Van Dijk did well to stop Madueke, while a Caicedo cross rattled the bar.
The Blues continued to look dangerous, ending the first half strong. Neto hit the side netting, and Madueke had a goal chalked off after Jackson was ruled offside in the buildup.
Chelsea maintained momentum after the break, eventually doubling their lead. Endo’s challenge denied Madueke following a dazzling Palmer run, but Van Dijk’s attempted clearance cannoned off Quansah and into the net.
Trailing 2-0, Liverpool saw more of the ball but found Chelsea difficult to break down. Slot introduced Conor Bradley, Darwin Nunez, Mac Allister, and Szoboszlai in a bid to shift the tide.
Nunez and Van Dijk each squandered headed chances, while Chalobah produced a timely intervention to deny the Uruguayan forward.
Liverpool’s persistence paid off when Van Dijk met Mac Allister’s corner with a thumping header, reducing the deficit.
Salah threatened again with a header, but Chelsea held firm. With seconds left, Caicedo was fouled by Quansah inside the box, and Palmer calmly dispatched the resulting penalty past Alisson to seal a pivotal three points for the Blues.
