WILLIAN SEALS IT FOR REDS
Chelsea man’s late penalty sparks Liverpool celebration
CHELSEA 2 MAN CITY 1
WILLIAN’S 12-yard kick spread a smile 220 miles up the M6 as Chelsea’s win finally enabled that blessed asterisk to be deleted for good.
The Brazilian’s late penalty ended Manchester City’s challenge and handed Liverpool the title while helping their own Champions League ambitions.
It was a bad day for Manchester United even if City did lose. But then loyalties were deeply tangled last night.
Chelsea had famously also been the kingmakers in 2016, when their comeback to draw with Tottenham was enough to ensure Leicester, managed by former Blues boss Claudio Ranieri, were champions. After some fiery Champions League semi-finals, there seemed less incentive for Chelsea to make Liverpool’s job easy for them – although their own European ambitions were carrot enough.
However, Kepa Arrizabalaga almost gave them a mountain to climb when he clipped a clearance straight to Riyad Mahrez on the edge of his own area after 15 minutes.
Waving forlornly for an offside when the City playmaker clipped the ball back in, Kepa prevented Bernardo Silva from scoring more by luck than judgment as Pep Guardiola’s side signalled some early intent.
Tipping Fernandinho’s header over the bar moment’s later from a free-kick was more what was required from the Chelsea goalkeeper.
A City win, and the title race would have still been alive technically next Thursday when Liverpool visited the Etihad.
Lose or draw and they would be on guard-of-honour duties on their own turf, their two-year hold of the crown surrendered before kick-off.
That would explain the fierce determination of the defending when first Ross Barkley then Andreas
Christensen fired in pointblank efforts.
Benjamin Mendy is a different animal, however, not much given to fierce determination when defending.
Christian Pulisic skipped away from him far too easily in the 36th minute and, with just Ederson to beat, the American star waltzed around him to slide the ball into the net.
It was a mystery why Liverpool never signed Pulisic, who spent his successful formative years with Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund.
Perhaps this was the masterplan – why pay £64million for a player when he can win you the Premier League for nothing?
But there was a long way to go. Chelsea made it to the break with their lead intact but they knew what to expect in the second half. Kevin De Bruyne, let go by Chelsea, levelled the scores with a sublime free-kick in the 55th minute. Moments later Raheem Sterling hit a post and, with the cavalry arriving in the shape of Gabriel Jesus and David Silva, it was clear City were not about to give up.
It was the sucker punch they had to look out for. First Mason Mount should have killed the game off when Ederson’s poor clearance put him clear, only to shoot into the side netting.
Then Pulisic raced clear again, rounded Ederson and slid in his shot, only for Kyle Walker to toe the ball off the line – the goal-line technology doing its job this time.
Fernandinho had a similar duty to perform when Tammy Abraham tried to bundle in Willian’s cross – but a long VAR check spotted that he had done so illegally.
It earned him a red card and the inevitable label of the man who had handed the title to Liverpool.
Willian, left, found the top corner with the penalty and what threatened to be one of the shortest title races ever didn’t quite make it into July.