Liverpool FC have officially been crowned champions of the 2020-21 Premier League season after second-placed Manchester City lost 2-1 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
With a 23 point advantage after their win over Crystal Palace the previous day, Liverpool’s title win was effectively inevitable. It was a question of when rather than whether, but few expected the processions to begin so soon. Chelsea came close to dropping crucial points against Aston Villa over the weekend, while City came into this game with two successive wins having scored eight goals without reply since the restart.
The visitors looked dominant in the early stages, forcing Chelsea into a defensive posture looking to pick their opponents off on the break.
However, when a defensive mix-up between Benjamin Mendy and Ilkay Gundogan occurred, as the pair attempted to recycle a ball cleared by the Chelsea defense, an opportunity for Chelsea to win the ball in a critical area finally arrived.
Seemingly lifted by his major contribution to Chelsea’s last win over Aston Villa, Christian Pulisic shifted into top gear to snatch the ball from the City pair. After skipping past Mendy’s challenge, the American bore down on goal and finished with an excellent effort that found the far corner.
Eager not to be bested, City came out strong for the second half. Kevin De Bruyne pulled the game level with an excellent free-kick shortly after the restart, and Raheem Sterling’s attempt to give City the lead managed to beat the onrushing goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga only to bounce off the post.
Chelsea would soon rue a similar situation at the other end, as Pulisic skipped past Ederson and rolled the ball into an empty net, only to be denied by Kyle Walker’s incredible clearance off the line. City were again involved in a goalmouth scramble to deny Chelsea just four minutes later, but the hosts were awarded a penalty after Fernandinho stopped the ball from crossing the line with his hand.
Willian stepped up to give Chelsea the lead with 12 minutes left to play – an advantage they managed to hold on to until the final whistle, securing three crucial points in their own Champions League race and the glory of the Premier League title for Liverpool FC.