Blistering Blues in hot pursuit of fourth place

AS THE temperature at Stamford Bridge soared Chelsea kept up the Champions League heat on Liverpool and Tottenham.

The Blues can still pip both clubs to a place at Europe’s top table, thanks to a 32nd-minute winner from Olivier Giroud.

A run of five successive wins has put Antonio Conte’s side in the once unlikely position of possibly finishing in the top four, as they trail Spurs by just two points.

A home win over Huddersfield on Wednesday will ensure they stay in with a shout when they play their last game of the season at former boss Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle on Sunday.

Liverpool would face Brighton that day needing three points to ensure they deny the Blues.

Spurs’ superior goal difference means they probably need just a win and a draw at home to Newcastle and Leicester to ensure another crack at the Champions League.

Pale

It has made the race for Europe far more interesting than anyone might have imagined.

It is hard to get away from the feeling that Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool’s heroics in the Champions League, where they face Real Madrid in the final, has seen them take their eye off the ball domestically.

They were a pale shadow of the outfit who have scored 12 goals in their last four games in the Champions League.

Mo Salah, in particular, was disappointing, looking more like the player who failed to make an impact at Chelsea than the star who has terrorised defences all season and won two best-player awards.

The most impressive performer was one-time Liverpool loanee Victor Moses, who gave Andrew Robertson a runaround in the sunshine.

Sadio Mane was the biggest threat for Klopp’s men, twice testing Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois