Chelsea boosted their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League with a 3-1 victory over champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Fernandez struck after just three minutes before Jarrell Quansah’s second-half own goal doubled Chelsea's lead. Virgil van Dijk’s late header pulled a goal back but Cole Palmer had the final say, ending a four-month goal drought when netting a 96th-minute penalty.

Chelsea remain fifth but now have a three-point cushion over sixth-place Nottingham Forest, who play Crystal Palace on Monday.

How the match unfolded

The Blues opened the scoring after just three minutes. Palmer led a swift counter before finding Pedro Neto, whose low cross was neatly controlled and finished by Fernandez.

Liverpool looked to respond with Cody Gakpo calling Robert Sanchez into action from a tight angle, while Neto hit the side-netting at the other end.

Chelsea thought they had doubled their lead just before half-time when Noni Madueke rounded Alisson and slotted home. However, the joy was short-lived with Nicolas Jackson penalised for offside during the build-up.

The hosts did get their second goal in fortuitous circumstances 11 minutes after the restart, as Van Dijk’s attempted clearance from a Palmer cross ricocheted off Quansah and back into the net.

Palmer struck the post from a tight angle, before Liverpool’s later pressure at the other end eventually culminated in Van Dijk powering home from Alexis Mac Allister’s corner.

Although their hopes of averting only their third league defeat of the season deep into stoppage time, when Palmer slotted home from the spot after Quansah felled Moises Caicedo.

Blues burst out of the blocks to thwart champions

Seeking a third straight Premier League win, Enzo Maresca named an unchanged starting XI for the first time since November (against Manchester United).

The Blues’ confidence was evident as they were quick out of the blocks and soon ahead through Fernandez. Timed at two minutes and 47 seconds, it was their earliest league goal since Antonio Rudiger netted just 14 seconds earlier against Stoke City in December 2017.

Chelsea continued to be positive and, though the offside flag denied Madueke, they eventually gained breathing space through Quansah’s own goal.

The hosts’ concentration levels were tested as Liverpool increased the pressure in search for a way back into the game.

Despite Van Dijk halving their advantage, Chelsea never really looked like surrendering it, and put the contest to bed with virtually the last kick of the game, as Palmer capped a fine individual performance by finally ending his long wait for a goal.

Attention now turns to the second leg of the Conference League semi-final against Djurgarden, before their Champions League qualification quest resumes at St James’ Park against top-five rivals Newcastle United.

Rotated Reds suffer rare defeat

Fresh from securing their second Premier League title last weekend, Arne Slot’s much-changed side received a guard of honour as they made their way onto the Stamford Bridge turf.

There were six alterations in all and the Reds were slow to settle, with Chelsea punishing them by striking inside just three minutes.

Aside from Gakpo’s half-chance, Liverpool struggled to generate a decent attacking threat over the remainder of the first half.

Slot’s side were much-improved after falling 2-0 behind, with Van Dijk and Darwin Nunez off target from headers.

Their pressure eventually told when Van Dijk made no mistake five minutes from time. However, it was too late to avert a third defeat in four visits to London.

A disappointing afternoon for Quansah continued when he caught Caicedo late, allowing Palmer to seal the points for the hosts.

Slot will be eager for his side to finish the season with improvement, starting next weekend against second-place Arsenal at Anfield.