Chelsea 3 [Fernandez 3; Quansah 56og; Palmer 90+6 pen] Liverpool 1 [Van Dijk 85]
Liverpool suffered defeat in their first game since being crowned Premier League champions as Cole Palmer ended his Chelsea scoring drought to round off a 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge and boost the Blues’ Champions League ambitions.
Enzo Fernandez’s early goal set the tone for Enzo Maresca’s side largely to dominate, turning in one of their best displays of the season at just the right moment in the race for the top five, though there was little complaining to be heard from a triumphant away support gathered in the Shed End.
Not even when Jarell Quansah scored a bizarre own goal in the second half did their title celebrations quieten.
Virgil van Dijk compensated for his role in the debacle with a header from Alexis Mac Allister’s corner late on, then the roof came off the stadium as Palmer ended his four-month fallow spell, dispatching a penalty in stoppage time after Quansah fouled Moises Caicedo.
Victory pulls Chelsea level on points with fourth-placed Newcastle and moves them three clear of Nottingham Forest in sixth.
Brentford 4 [L Shaw 27og; Schade 33, 70; Wissa 74] Manchester United 2 [Mount 14; Garnacho 82; Diallo 90+5]
Kevin Schade scored twice as Brentford beat Manchester United 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller to further their hunt for European qualification.
United failed to replicate their impressive 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the week, despite Mason Mount’s first goal of the season giving their much-changed team the lead at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday.
But a Luke Shaw own goal and Schade’s first before half-time turned things around before the German forward, who scored in Brentford’s 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Thursday, grabbed his second after the break.
Yoane Wissa’s 18th goal of the season came made it 4-1 before two excellent strikes by Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo set up a tense finish.
Brighton 1 [Minteh 38] Newcastle 1 [Isak 89 pen]
Alexander Isak’s late penalty salvaged Newcastle a 1-1 Premier League draw at Brighton after his side had two second-half spot-kick awards overturned following VAR intervention.
The Magpies striker converted his 27th goal of the season two minutes from time when Seagulls substitute Yasin Ayari was punished for handling a Fabian Schar free-kick.
Referee Craig Pawson had earlier reversed his initial decision after replays showed Anthony Gordon was fouled just outside the box by Tariq Lamptey before doing so again following a dive by Joe Willock.
In their quest to qualify for the Champions League, Newcastle fell behind in the first half when Albion winger Yankuba Minteh opened the scoring against his former club.
A dramatic draw at the Amex Stadium leaves Eddie Howe’s side fourth – three points clear of sixth spot. Brighton, who also harbour European ambitions, remain 10th.
West Ham 1 [Bowen 28] Tottenham 1 [Odobert 15]
Jarrod Bowen rescued a point for West Ham as they laboured to a 1-1 draw at home to a second-string Tottenham.
Bowen scored his 10th Premier League goal for the season to cancel out Wilson Odobert’s first for Spurs.
With Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou placing all his eggs in the Europa League basket he made eight changes to rest his first-choice players for Thursday night’s semi-final second-leg trip to Norway to face Bodo/Glimt.
With Spurs minds clearly elsewhere and West Ham likely wishing away the remainder what has been a dire season, this was a match both teams could have probably done without, and it showed.
The scores of empty seats around the London Stadium for a derby summed up the apathy surrounding the club, who have now collected just 14 points from 15 matches under the increasingly beleaguered Graham Potter.
Not even the battle to avoid finishing as the lowest team in the Premier League outside of the relegation places could liven things up. As it is, West Ham remain in 17th and Spurs just one place above them, still on course for their lowest top-flight finish since they were relegated in 1977.
