Chelsea Defeat Liverpool After Guard of Honour

Chelsea boosted their Champions League qualification hopes with a 3-1 victory over newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring for Chelsea, followed by a Jarell Quansah own goal, while Virgil van Dijk scored for Liverpool before Cole Palmer secured the win with a penalty. Liverpool fielded a rotated team, giving chances to fringe players, which contributed to a rare league defeat for the champions. The match was preceded by Chelsea giving Liverpool a guard of honour, a gesture that drew mixed reactions. Chelsea's win puts them level on points with Newcastle in the race for a top-four finish, though concerns about their consistency remain. Key forward Christopher Nkunku remains sidelined for up to two more weeks as Chelsea face a crucial season run-in.