Needing just a draw to secure a spot in the Champions League next season, Chelsea suffered through an awful first half at Anfield against Premier League champions Liverpool and found themselves in a 4-1 hole after 55 minutes.
American star Christian Pulisic started the game on the bench, and was a surprising omission from the starting lineup after he did not play in a weekend FA Cup game against Manchester United. Manager Frank Lampard finally put him on the field with a half an hour left to play, and exactly 1 minute and 53 seconds after he came on, Pulisic set up a brilliant goal to give Chelsea a lifeline.
With three Liverpool defenders converging, Pulisic somehow weaved his way into the penalty area and passed the ball across the goal, allowing Tammy Abraham to tap in a goal past Alisson.
In the 73rd minute, Pulisic scored a stunning goal of his own to make it 4-3.
Pulisic has emerged as one of the best young players in the Premier League in 2020, and Chelsea will need him to have big games to finish out the season. If Chelsea fails to come back and earn a draw at Liverpool, their Champions League fate will go down to the final day of the season on Sunday. On August 1st, Chelsea will play Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in the FA Cup final.
