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Liverpool pulled off a brilliant and hard-fought victory against a determined Chelsea side to lift the Premier League trophy in style at Anfield with a 5-3 victory. Both sides made several defensive mistakes but Liverpool's efficiency in the final third pulled Jurgen Klopp's side across the finish line in the penultimate game of the season.
Liverpool looked set to coast to an easy victory after going 3-0 up in the first half but an excellent comeback from a feisty Chelsea side kept the home side on its heels. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's strike in the closing stages of the game sealed the victory for a Liverpool side that dominated large periods of the match.
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Chelsea and Liverpool engaged in an interesting tactical battle in the opening twenty minutes and both sides created plenty of chances. Neither side was able to get a clear shot in the opening stages till Naby Keita unleashed a stunner to give Liverpool the lead.
A questionable decision from referee Andre Marriner led to a Liverpool free-kick after the cooling break and Trent Alexander-Arnold double Liverpool's lead with a stunning effort. Wijnaldum piled on the misery a few minutes later and extended the lead to three goals after Reece James failed to clear his lines from a Liverpool corner.
Frank Lampard was left fuming with his side's predicament at the touchline. Chelsea's stars gave themselves a glimmer of hope when Olivier Giroud scored a simple tap-in against the run of the play after some good work from Marcos Alonso and Willian.
The goal-fest continued in the second half as Roberto Firmino got on to the end of a brilliant Alexander-Arnold cross to score Liverpool's fourth goal. Frank Lampard replaced his attacking trident and a stunning run from substitute Christian Pulisic handed Tammy Abraham his goal on a silver platter.
The American forward was in the thick of the action yet again as he left a dumbfounded Joe Gomez stunned in his wake to lash an excellent effort past Alisson and cut Chelsea's deficit to a solitary goal.
Jurgen Klopp had a few aces of his own up his sleeve and a blistering Andrew Robertson counter-attack led to an excellent goal for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain towards the end of the game. Liverpool managed to plug the leaks in defence to see out the game and condemn Chelsea to a painful 5-3 defeat at Anfield.
#5 Hit - Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool
Trent Alexander-Arnold was at his sumptuous best tonight in the final third. The Liverpool right-back kept Mason Mount quiet in the first half and stepped up to take the free-kick after the referee awarded a dubious foul against Mateo Kovacic on Sadio Mane.
The English full-back scored his second set-piece of the season with a brilliant curling effort that left a hapless Kepa Arrizabalaga rooted to the spot. Chelsea's wall could do nothing about Alexander-Arnold's precision and the goal handed Liverpool a massive advantage in the first half.
Trent Alexander-Arnold became immensely confident after his goal and picked up a wonderful assist with a cross that Roberto Firmino simply could not miss. The English full-back was arguably one of the best players on the pitch and tormented Chelsea throughout the game.
#4 Flop - Mason Mount, Chelsea
Mason Mount has been a revelation for Chelsea and Frank Lampard this season but struggled to make an impact against Liverpool. The English youngster was unnaturally quiet in the first half and spurned several chances in the final third.
The Chelsea forward started on the left flank and had an uncharacteristically heavy first touch on several occasions. Mount will not be particularly happy with his performance and will have to improve on his final product to stay in Chelsea's starting eleven.
Mason Mount was replaced by Christian Pulisic in the second half and the American's performance will be a cause of worry for the youngster. Mount is immensely talented but will have to make his performance against Manchester United last week a staple of his game to succeed under Frank Lampard.
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#3 Hit - Roberto Firmino, Liverpool
Roberto Firmino has often described as the most important cog in Jurgen Klopp's juggernaut and proved his mettle today with a commendable performance. The Brazilian forward was brilliant today for Liverpool and was a consistent threat in the final third.
Firmino is often overshadowed by his more illustrious counterparts in Liverpool's formidable attacking trident but was arguably the most potent of the home side's attacking superstars.
The Brazilian striker offered his teammate Mohamed Salah two brilliant chances to score for Liverpool and was unfortunate not to bag an assist. Firmino took matters into his own hands in the second half and made no mistake with a brilliant header that gave Chelsea's defence no chance.
#2 Flop - Joe Gomez, Liverpool
Joe Gomez is currently the weakest link in an otherwise reliable Liverpool defence and has not been his best self since the Premier League restart. The English defender has not been the same since Liverpool's Manchester City debacle and struggled against Chelsea today.
Gomez was a composed presence in the first half but could have done better to prevent Chelsea's opening goal. The defender's struggles began when Christian Pulisic was brought into the game.
The English centre-back was nutmegged in the build-up to Tammy Abraham's goal and struggled in his own penalty area as Chelsea threatened to make a stunning comeback. Gomez will have to do better to convince his employers that he is worth the investment at Anfield.
#1 Hit - Christian Pulisic, Chelsea
Christian Pulisic performed the role of super-substitute to perfection today against Liverpool. The American forward was a massive improvement over Willian and Mason Mount and gave Chelsea a much-needed spark in the final third.
Pulisic embarked on a mesmerising run in the opening stages on the second half and beat four Liverpool players to give Tammy Abraham his goal. The winger got on to the scoresheet himself after hammering an excellent shot into Alisson's net to score Chelsea's third goal.
Christian Pulisic has become Chelsea's talisman in recent months and is Frank Lampard's best player at the moment. The forward will be looking forward to the FA Cup final against Arsenal and will be a potent force in Chelsea's lineup for years to come.
