LAMPS’ EUROPE BID MUST KEEP WOLVES AT BAY
be illuminated as the silverware reflected their unbridled joy, the stands were empty.
It is a minor irritant during a time of real tragedy and not one player who joined in those pictures of celebration at the end will ever lose sight of that.
The deaths, the tragedies, the horrors that have been inflicted on this city in the intervening period, they are what really matters.
Liverpool in the 80s and 90s was torn apart by the cruel ‘managed-decline’ neglect of a Tory government. Their people were attacked, vilified, by the establishment. Back in 1990, Kenny Dalglish, Hansen and his team, provided a flicker of comfort to the families who suffered so badly.
The Hillsborough families, yes, but all the families who suffered those years.
Now after more Government neglect, more unnecessary deaths, the nation suffers again and Liverpool suffers.
The fans weren’t here for a night where they could lose themselves, but their team still did them proud. And the fireworks which went off long before the end told that story.
CHELSEA will need a point at home to Wolves on Sunday to guarantee Champions League football next season.
Try as they might, the Blues could not spoil Liverpool’s Premier League title party last night.
And now they will have to wait before they can celebrate getting into Europe’s top competition.
Frank Lampard’s men came from 4-1 down to turn it into an eight-goal thriller at Anfield.
But they failed to get the equaliser needed to properly secure their top-four spot.
And if the Blues can’t get a point at Stamford Bridge when they take on Wolves, they will need Manchester United to beat Leicester at the King Power Stadium.
After a below-par United struggled to a 1-1 draw against West Ham last night, Chelsea won’t be wanting to bank on that.
Lampard’s men got off to a decent enough start, with Mason Mount and Reece James going close early on.
But Liverpool soon clicked into gear on their big night and it was thanks to the lively Naby Keita.
The Kop midfielder and Gini Wijnaldum won the ball off a sloppy Willian in the 23rd minute.
Keita burst forward powerfully before firing in off the underside of the bar from distance.
Sadio Mane then won a free-kick 25 yards out and up stepped full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold to brilliantly curl the ball in.
When Wijnaldum fired home two minutes before the break, after the ball broke to him following an Andy Robertson corner, it looked like the game was pretty much over.
However, Willian’s shot in first-half stoppage-time was only pushed to Olivier Giroud by keeper Alisson and the Frenchman turned home to give Chelsea hope.
Roberto Firmino headed home his first league goal at Anfield this season – 10 minutes after the break – from a superb AlexanderArnold cross, but Chelsea still didn’t give in.
Christian Pulisic set up fellow sub Tammy Abraham for a second for the Blues just after the hour mark.
And then Abraham returned the favour to set up the American and he turned to fire into the top corner from close range with 17 minutes to go. But Chelsea were still unable to find that crucial equaliser.
And Liverpool added the gloss to their title party when sub Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain smashed home their fifth (above) in the 84th minute.
MATCH STATS
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CHELSEA:
REFEREE:
MOM