More reaction from Stamford Bridge
We’ll leave you with Jonathan Liew’s report:
And be sure to join me for all the latest reaction to Liverpool’s title win over here:
LIVERPOOL ARE CHAMPIONS OF ENGLAND FOR THE 19TH TIME!
Full time: Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City That’s it! A vital win for Chelsea, and an even bigger one for Liverpool. They have won the title in record time, with an outrageous seven games to spare. Turns out not even Covid-19 could stop them.
Well, I’d love to stop and chat but I’m off to the Kerguelen Islands for a few years to look after our Liverpool celebration blog. They’re the champions of England, and they are entirely magnificent.
90+3 min Ederson makes a terrific save from Pedro, flying to his left to fingertip a curling shot past hte post.
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90+1 min A double change for Chelsea. Pedro and Billy Gilmour replace Mason Mount and the excellent Christian Pulisic.
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90 min After thirty years and three months, Liverpool have another six minutes to wait.
87 min “I’m about to see Liverpool win the title for the first time in 30 years,” says Philip Riston. “I’m going to savour the next ten minutes!”
Surely it’s time for someone to mention that wonderful scene in Out of Sight; that exquisite little window between knowing something euphoric is about to happen and actually experiencing it.
NB: Clip probably contains adult bits.
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86 min A corner to City, who are still attacking as if they mean it, bless them. It’s half clear to Sterling, who rakes a poor pass behind for a goalkick.
85 min “In the Cure’s Pictures of You, number 48 on that fateful week, Robert Smith celebrates his former lover who ‘finally found all [her] courage to let it all go’,” says Phil Podolsky. “That’s what City should do. Give up. That’s what life if all about, fellas. Giving up.”
You’ve been watching Fight Club on loop again haven’t you.
84 min Azpilicueta’s cross drifts teasingly along the six-yard box. City know it’s over.
83 min “That Top 40 from 1990 is practically the tracklist of Now 17 (if you were to promote Orbital’s ‘Chime’ by about 35 places), which is the best pop compilation ever released,” says Ed. “NB. By ‘ever’, I mean - with typical millennial solipsism - ‘since I started listening to pop music’, obvs. There might have been some good ones in the 60s.”
81 min “Ok,” says Matt Dony. “Winning the title following a cynical action from a Guardiola player could be a pretty sweet ‘moment’.”
I hope you’re not working tomorrow.
80 min This will be City’s eighth league defeat of the season, which is a scandal for a team of their quality. It also makes Liverpool’s points total even more remarkable, because they could have declared in January and still won the league.
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79 min That’s a big goal for Chelsea, never mind Liverpool. As things stand they are five points clear of Manchester United in fifth, and only a point behind Leicester.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City (Willian 78 pen)
Willian slams the penalty high into the net!
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PENALTY TO CHELSEA/FERNANDINHO SENT OFF!
77 min Fernandinho knew it was coming. And now Liverpool know it is coming in the next 20 minutes.
76 min: What the hell just happened?! Fernandino clears off the line twice from first Pulisic and then Abraham, an astonishing piece of defending. But Chelsea are convinced the second one was with his hand, and replays confirm that it was. This will be a penalty and a red card. LIVERPOOL ARE CHAMPIONS!
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74 min “Hi Rob,” says Paul Ewart. “How are your plans to retreat to a remote tropical island going.”
The bloody Kerguelen Islands have shut the borders because of Covid, haven’t they?
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73 min A change apiece. City have brought on Nicolas Otamendi for Aymeric Laporte; Chelsea have replaced Ross Barkley with Mateo Kovacic.
72 min “I looked at the Top 40 from 1990, Rob and I must admit Bizz Nizz didn’t ring any bells with me so I took a listen,” says Ben Mimmack. “It gave me a fairly aggressive Proustian moment. And now I feel old.”
71 min: Walker clears off the line! What a magnificent block from Kyle Walker! Pulisic ran through on goal, having had far too much pace for the last man Fernandinho. He moved smoothly round Ederson and slid the ball towards the open net, but Walker stormed back and slid in to clear it off the line. I thought it might be over the line but Stuart Attwell’s watch didn’t do the necessary. Replays showed it was definitely still on the line.
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70 min Chelsea are again starting to look dangerous on the counter-attack. I can’t see this game finishing 1-1.
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68 min Drinks break.
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67 min A City corner bounces past everyone in the middle and comes to Sterling beyond the far post. He moves back onto his right foot and shapes a gorgeous curling shot that beats Kepa and drifts this far wide of the far post.
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66 min “There are some absolute bangers in that top 40 from April 1990,” says Patrick Crumlish. “Dub Be Good To Me a personal favourite. One of the first songs to really stick in my little brain (I was 12 at the time). Though if I never hear Birdhouse In My Soul again, I will be eternally grateful. Grating.”
Ach, I love that song. Thanks for ruining my entire youth.
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65 min No red card for Rudiger. It’s the right decision, I think; it was just an accidental follow-through. De Bruyne is fine.
64 min De Bruyne is down after being caught by Rudiger, who cleared the ball and then followed through with his studs into De Bruyne’s shin. At the right speed that could be perceived as reckless, and VAR are having a look at it.
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62 min: Mount misses a great chance! Chelsea should be ahead. Ederson’s shoddy pass went straight to Mount, 25 yards from goal. He surged into the area, through on goal, but sliced the ball into the side netting with his left foot.
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62 min A Chelsea substitution: Tammy Abraham on, Olivier Giroud off.
59 min City have woken up with a vengeance. They were listless for 50 minutes but now they are playing with desperate urgency. Pep Guardiola has made his third substitution, with Oleksandr Zinchenko replacing Mendy at left-back.
57 min: Sterling hits the post! City have come to life. That was a thrilling counter-attack from a Chelsea corner, with three one-touch passes slicing the defence open. Eventually Gabriel Jesus angled a fine through pass to Sterling, who clipped the ball over the outrushing Kepa and onto the face of the near post.
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Is there a more watchable footballer in the world? (Clue: no.) De Bruyne hit the free-kick near the valve so that it wobbled and dipped viciously before landing in the top corner. Kepa had no idea what was going on.
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GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Manchester City (De Bruyne 55)
Kevin De Bruyne equalises with a majestic free-kick!
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55 min Kante fouls Mahrez 25 yards from goal. Before the free-kick is taken, City make a double change: David Silva and Gabriel Jesus replaces Bernardo Silva and Rodri. Pep is going for it.
54 min “Can’t be with my son Thomas to watch this match as he lives in France,” says Helen Edgar. “As Liverpool supporters we are united through your live commentary... from a distance!”
I always wanted to be Cilla Black.
53 min De Bruyne hoofs a cross straight out of play. City have been rubbish since going behind.
52 min Mendy’s shot from 25 yards goes 520 yards over the bar.
52 min City are really missing Sergio Aguero (injured) and Gabriel Jesus (only fit enough for the bench). It’s been a masterclass in sterile domination.
51 min“Ian Copestake hasn’t thought this through,” says James Debens. “I’m sitting here in a nappy with Deliveroo on speed-dial and the dog tethered to the treadmill. Think on, Ian. It’s been THIRTY YEARS, man.”
How many times: TWENTY-NINE AND A BIT.
50 min Christensen is okay to continue.
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49 min “I guess no-one knows anything but do you think Pep will stick around next season?” says Niall Mullen. “He doesn’t look like he enjoys it at the best of times but this season he’s really been chewing a wasp.”
I think he’ll stay, but it wouldn’t be a JFK moment if he quit.
48 min Mendy’s fierce shot knocks Christensen off his feet, and there’s a break in play while he receives treatment.
47 min “As a Manchester United fan, this result is several shades of upsetting,” says Ian Bland, “so I’ve flicked around and realised that the BBC have stuck Radiohead’s 1997 Glastonbury set on the iPlayer, and will opt for that over the second half. If I’m going to feel miserable anyway, I might as well do it with a side order of transcendence.”
46 min Peep peep! City begin the second half.
“Liverpool supporter here,” says Marie Meyer. “Having the long wait ended by a lengthy passage of City doing pretty patterns then conceding a goal from another episode of comedy defending suits me fine.”
They look like they don’t truly fancy playing Liverpool with the title still at stake, which surprises me.
“Chelsea might not have had that ‘Aguero moment’,” says Julian Menz, “but we’ll always have Lampard’s 2-0 against Bolton. The moment I knew it was really true. The moment I got a bit overexcited and was asked to leave the pub, never suspecting that the bloke next to us would be interviewing me for a job the following Monday. The moral? Liverpool fans, it will be sweet, you will probably drink too much, no matter where or how it happens. Enjoy!”
Half-time reading
Half time: Chelsea 1-0 Manchester City
Peep peep! Manchester City need to score at least twice in the second half of Liverpool will be champions. Christian Pulisic’s 36th-minute goal, created ingeniously by Benjamin Mendy, gave Chelsea the lead against the run of play. City struggled to create chances, despite dominating possession throughout, and the use of Bernardo Silva as a false nine hasn’t been a success.
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45+1 min “Alonso already on a booking,” says Chimdindu Ndukwe. “That is a red card waiting to happen especially with Mahrez on his side. A sub needs to happen soon.”
45 min Loads of City possession, as has been the case through the half. But Chelsea have been tactically smart, defending very deep and rationing their counter-attacks. The scoreline doesn’t particularly flatter them.
44 min “I’ve been a Liverpool fan for 44 years,” says Siobhán. “We’ve already been robbed of the genuine celebration of winning this season with fans in the stands and so on, so I’d at least like to see them win it live in a match so we can see the players celebrate at the whistle.”
It’ll be interesting to see what the players do if they win it tonight. I’ve lost track of the guidelines on bubbles, but presumably some of them can sup Victory Liquor together? Or maybe they could just all meet at Bournemouth beach.
43 min Mendy’s excellent low cross flashes across the six-yard box.
40 min In case you’ve been socially distancing from the world in the past 24 hours, Manchester City need to win this game or Liverpool will be champions.
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39 min “Mate, I have a dilemma,” says Ian Copestake. “I need to head out to the shops or else repeat today’s below par crab pasta pappardelle arrabbiata. I also need crisps. But Liverpool might be champions by the time I get back and I will have missed the chance to mark the moment when the wait ended and the new wait began.”
Where’s the nearest shop, in a different continent? There’s still 50 minutes to play plus half-time plus stoppages plus drinks breaks, man!
38 min De Bruyne takes the free-kick short to the unmarked Mahrez, who smashes it over the bar from 15 yards. That was a decent chance.
38 min Alonso is booked for pulling back Mahrez just outside the area.
It was abysmal defending from City. De Bruyne’s free-kick from the right was headed towards the halfway line, where Mendy and Gundogan were waiting. They’re still waiting. They left the ball to each other, which allowed to Pulisic to nick possession and surge past Mendy’s impetuous challenge. That took him through on goal, and he curled the ball calmly into the bottom corner.
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GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Manchester City (Pulisic 36)
Chelsea take the lead on the break!
33 min: Good save from Ederson! Willian’s dipping corner from the left was headed towards goal by Christensen, who pulled away from Laporte in the six-yard box, and Ederson dived to his right to make an instinctive save.
32 min Chelsea are starting to look more dangerous on the counter-attack, and just created two chances in the same attack. First Barkley’s low cross evaded Pulisic at the near post, then Barkley’s shot was blocked by Fernandinho.
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30 min “Tequila Sunrise, Rob?” says Gary Naylor of City’s kit. “More like Pulisic.”
Now that’s what I call a pun.
29 min Frank Lampard will be pleased with Chelsea’s defending in the first half an hour. For all City’s possession, their only chances came from a set-piece and a Kepa balls-up.
28 min “I trust nobody will refer to ‘thirty years of hurt’,” says Andrew. “The last time Liverpool were champions was on 6th May 1991, when Arsenal won the title. So 29-and-a-bit years. By the same reasoning, the Baddiel, Skinner and Lightning Seeds lyric would be better as ‘26 years of hurt’.”
I bet you’re fun at socially distanced parties. (And yes, I had exactly the same thought.) It’s about time pedantry was formally classified as a health conditions. It’s not easy, you know.
27 min Alonso’s cross from the left isn’t properly cleared by Laporte, who can only poke it straight to Barkley. His fierce left-footed shot deflects behind off Fernandinho.
25 min “Matt Dony has diamond shoes?” ponders Sarah Rothwell. “As a Liverpool supporter, I think the debate of how best to win the league is a luxury of having such a sizeable lead. Last season, we’d have taken it whatever way we could get it (and I’m pretty sure I spent most Man City matches optimistically giving their defence the long-distance evil eye).”
The only slight downside to winning your first title for 30 years with a record seven games to spare after a relentless series of awesome victories is that there isn’t a Sergio Aguero/Michael Thomas/Steve Bruce moment. But frankly, who cares. Chelsea didn’t have a moment like that when they won their first title in 50 years, and they just about survived.
23 min Drinks break.
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22 min City’s attacking play has been slightly ponderous by their standards, though that’s probably due to the heat. They have still been much the better side.
20 min It’s still all City. If it carries on like this, Chelsea will need their five substitutes.
18 min: Good save from Kepa! Mahrez’s free-kick from the left is headed towards goal by Fernandinho, in front of the near post, and Kepa tips it over acrobatically over the bar.
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15 min Kepa passes the ball straight to Mahrez, who heads it straight back to Bernardo Silva in the area. He does brilliantly to control the ball on the chest and lob it over his own head, away from Kante. He manages to poke the ball past Kepa, but Rudiger senses the danger and is able to run the ball clear from inside the six-yard box.
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15 min “Poetic and show-off victories are all for the romantic,” says Krish. “I see a realist in Klopp and he would happily settle the league issue tonight and leave the pub on Wednesday next.”
13 min At the other end, Willian’s low cross towards Mount is put behind at the near post by the stretching Gundogan. The resulting corner is cleared as far as Mount, who volleys it onto Fulham Palace Road.
12 min De Bruyne floats a sweet pass over the defence towards Bernardo Silva, whose backheader across goal is claimed by Arrizabalaga.
12 min Sterling cushions a volley infield for Mendy, who tries to burst between two defenders in the area and wins a corner. It’s headed away by Kante. City must have had at least 75 per cent of the possession.
11 min “Hi Rob,” says Tim Woods. “I am a Liverpool fan, and genuinely don’t care when or how we win it. It’s been 30 [THIRTY] years.”
Look at the top 40 when they were last champions. There are some cracking songs in there, and I’d forgotten all about Pat and Mick.
8 min City have started really well. Mendy fizzes a low cross that is kicked away by Arrizabalaga at the near post, even though there were no City players near him.
7 min “NBC calls the City kit tequila sunrise,” says Mary Waltz. “I call it cynical corporate greed but taste is subjective.”
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6 min Bernardo Silva’s scuffed snapshot dribbles through to Arrizabalaga.
5 min Gundogan wins the first corner for City, who have started with impressive authority. Giroud clears at the near post.
4 min “As a Liverpool fan,” says Stephen Carr, “I wish Mourinho was in charge of Chelsea tonight. Or Man City actually.”
3 min Lots of early possession for City. These conditions are not ideal for chasing the ball all night.
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2 min “Ahoy hoy, Rob,” says Matt Dony. “It probably won’t surprise you enormously, but this email isn’t about the teams playing tonight. Before the Great Break, I was scared. I was worried. I was terrified by the thought of everything going wrong and City pipping Liverpool to the title. During the break, I had a word with myself, decided I was being an idiot, and made my peace with the fact that it really can’t go wrong from here. (It can’t!!) I need to enjoy what’s left of this season.
“As such, I’m now torn. Obviously, a Chelsea win (or draw) gets everything done and dusted, and helps towards what should be a record-breaking margin. But, on the other hand, I really want to actually see Liverpool win it. It’d be better to have one of Liverpool’s results deliver the title, rather than Chelsea’s. Of course, as far as dilemmas go, it’s all a bit ‘diamond shoes are too tight’, but I’m just not used to being in this position. Who do I support tonight? Help!”
If I was a Liverpool fan, I think I’d want City to win tonight. The opportunity to clinch the title away to one of your big rivals happens once in a lifetime, unless you’re Arsenal.
2 min City are playing a typical 4-1-2-3, but with Bernardo Silva as a false nine. Sterling is on the left with Mahrez on the right.
1 min Peep peep! Chelsea, in blue, kick off from right to left.
The players emerge on a sweltering evening in west London. In a nod to the weather conditions, Manchester City are wearing their ice-lolly kit.
“Hi Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “So let’s assume Man City win their next two games. Who do Liverpool play next? I’m hoping Bournemouth away, capacity 50,000 crowd at the beach, everybody happy. What could go wrong?”
Arf. It’s Aston Villa at home, on the weekend the pubs reopen.
“Good evening from sunny Sweden,” says Julian Menz. “Chelsea will also be looking to make a statement looking forward to next season. City aren’t quite the unstoppable force they were, and Chelsea have done well to be in pole-position for 4th. The club is showing serious intent, and I can see next season being a lot tighter at the top (United will also be more of a threat).
“Plus, forgetting City’s probable ban, finishing ahead of United and Wolves isn’t the only option for Chelsea to qualify for the CL. Leicester look catchable, and I doubt Chelsea will be playing for the draw tonight.”
The 6pm have finished
“Having seen plenty of City since life reemerged, it has been interesting to see what approach works best,” writes Ian Copestake. “Roll up in a ball and rock back and forth, or stand behind a wall and say you are gonna get your mates on them? I am hoping at least Chelsea will already have some of their mates to hand and be standing in front of the wall looking nawty.”
You’re excited about Liverpool winning the title, then.
Pre-match reading and listening
Team news
The in-form Phil Foden has picked up an injury and is not in the City squad. There are a lot of right-sided players in their starting XI. We’ve listed it as the typical 4-1-2-3 but I have a hunch Pep Guardiola will play with De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva as false nines, a tactic that worked so well at Old Trafford and the Bernabeu earlier in the year.
Chelsea (4-1-2-3) Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, Alonso; Kane; Barkley, Mount; Willian, Giroud, Pulisic.
Substitutes: Caballero, Zouma, James, Gilmour, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic, Pedro, Abraham.
Manchester City (4-1-2-3) Ederson; Walker, Fernandinho, Laporte, Mendy; Rodri; De Bruyne, Gundogan; Mahrez, B Silva, Sterling.
Substitutes: Carson, Harwood-Bells, Zinchenko, Otamendi, D Silva, Doyle, Palmer, Jesus, Sane.
Referee Stuart Attwell.
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Preamble
Hello. Chelsea and Manchester City have been the champions in five of the last six Premier League seasons, and tonight they are involved in another potential title decider. But it has the square root of bugger all to do with them. This is all about Liverpool, who will become champions of England for the first time since 1990 should City fail to win at Stamford Bridge.
City are going to finish second in the league whatever happens, and have a theoretically more important game at Newcastle in the FA Cup on Sunday. But they would love to land the first punch of the 2020-21 title race by delaying Liverpool’s coronation tonight and then beating them at the Etihad next week.
Chelsea need cold, hard league points rather than statements of intent. They still don’t know whether they must finish fourth or fifth to qualify for the Champions League. Either way, they are only two points ahead of Manchester United and Wolves in fifth and sixth, and this is the start a tough run-in.
Six of Chelsea’s last nine games are against teams in the top ten, most of them away from home. Even so, they’d probably be happy with a draw tonight. They’re not the only ones.
Kick off 8.15pm.
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