Chelsea vs. Liverpool: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Chelsea effectively ended Liverpool's slender hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League following a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The newly crowned Premier League champions received a guard of honour from their opponents prior to kick-off, but there was little love lost between the two sets of players in a game that only faded in intensity over the final 15 minutes.
John Terry's fifth-minute header gave Jose Mourinho's side an early advantage before Steven Gerrard equalised in a similar fashion—an unmarked header from a set piece—shortly before the break. Liverpool's need to go on and win the game was greater than Chelsea's—and that shone through—but Brendan Rodgers' side ultimately lacked the cutting edge to find a decisive goal.
The result means Liverpool are now six points behind Manchester United (with two games remaining) in the race for fourth, with their vastly inferior goal difference effectively meaning they will have to settle for a place in next season's Europa League.
Click on for some winners and losers from Sunday's game.
Winners: John Terry and Steven Gerrard
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The two goalscorers in this game were two titans of the Premier League era, as John Terry and Steven Gerrard cancelled each other out in the game's eventual draw.
Terry opened the scoring inside the first five minutes, the Chelsea captain becoming the Premier League's most prolific goalscoring defender in the process. It was a simple goal and one he has scored countless times in his career, as he rose almost unmarked to turn Cesc Fabregas' corner back across goal and beyond Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
With 39 goals to his name, Terry moved one clear of David Unsworth in the historical standings—Unsworth being a player who, unlike Terry, took his share of penalties and free-kicks during his career.
That statistic alone underlines the attacking threat Terry has possessed his whole career, although not the knack he seemed to have of scoring a lot of those goals at crucial moments in big games. It was at the other end that Terry's class also shone on Sunday, however, as he made a series of important interventions to prevent Liverpool from breaking through in a game they were desperate to win.
The only lapse came during Gerrard's goal, an almost identical effort to Terry's except for the fact it was a free-kick from which the skipper scored. Jordan Henderson's deep free-kick floated towards the far post, with Gerrard somehow walking away from marker John Obi Mikel to nod inside.
On a difficult afternoon for Gerrard, this was a sweet moment, as he endured the twin ignominies of leading the guard of honour for his opponents and then being abused throughout the 90 minutes for his famous slip against the Blues almost 12 months ago.
The captain was withdrawn with a few minutes remaining in the game, a decision that seemed to annoy him —Liverpool were still searching for a winner after all—and, more embarrassingly, exposed him to further abuse from the home fans.
They booed the midfielder initially before a standing ovation—that Jose Mourinho joined in with—swept around the ground, a nice gesture that was almost immediately replaced by renewed chants about that slip.
Afterwards, Gerrard reflected on the occasion in a dignified fashion even if he did not exactly forgive the Chelsea fans for their undoubtedly unkind gibes.
"Chelsea fans have shown me respect for a couple of seconds but slaughtered me all day," Gerrard said, per BBC Sport. "What's important is the support from the Liverpool fans, they've been with me from Day 1."
Loser: Brendan Rodgers
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Sunday's draw effectively means the end of Liverpool's Champions League hopes, gravely (but not unexpectedly) affecting Brendan Rodgers' planning ahead of next season.
Having already been forced to deny this week that Manchester United had beaten Liverpool to the signing of Memphis Depay, one can only wonder what other transfer targets Liverpool will now miss out on this summer as a result of their inability to offer Champions League football as an incentive.
Liverpool will now likely have to shop at a slightly lower tier in the market, something that might have a knock-on effect on their ability to challenge for the top four next season.
This was not a poor performance from Liverpool, although their inability to break down a Chelsea side that was clearly suffering from waning motivation during the final 30 minutes probably underlined exactly why they are likely to finish fifth. Liverpool have been short of consistency and inspiration at crucial junctures all season, which the extended absence of Daniel Sturridge only further exacerbated.
If there were positives to be drawn from this game, it was the impact that the likes of Raheem Sterling, Jordon Ibe and Jerome Sinclair made. The young academy products already look like they're ready to contribute on a regular basis in first-team matters—although in Sterling's case, that was never in any doubt.
Nevertheless, it would seem obvious that Liverpool still need to buy astutely if they are to rediscover the level they had even just last season. With Manchester United now sitting there almost unassailable in fourth, you wonder how much harder that will now be.
Following the game, Rodgers said, per BBC Sport:
"It's quite simple. From where the two teams were last year it's straight forward. Chelsea took in three starters that came into their team [Fabregas, Courtois, Costa]. We are missing three in Suarez, Sturridge and young John Flanagan.
They took three in, we lost three. The players we have had have given everything but we are fifth and that's probably where we are at at the moment.
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Winner: Ruben Loftus-Cheek
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With the title already sewn up, Jose Mourinho used Sunday's game as an opportunity to give teenager Ruben Loftus-Cheek his full debut in a Chelsea shirt.
The 19-year-old had a composed, comfortable hour on the pitch, notably completing every single one of his 27 passes, per Squawka, as he made sure never to try anything beyond his reach. That showed an admirable maturity, while the midfielder's reading of the game and physical stature were also firm evidence—even if some of his positional uncertainty was occasionally also exposed.
Mourinho ultimately decided to withdraw Loftus-Cheek for the final 30 minutes, believing that the youngster's inexperience could become more of problem for his side the longer the game wore on.
This may have been a dead rubber from Chelsea's perspective, but that is the challenge that now faces Loftus-Cheek—he still has a lot more to do to earn Mourinho's trust for "non-competitive" games, let alone vital ones, and in the process become that rare academy product to earn his spot in the first-team squad.
That challenge will take months, if not seasons, however. As it is, this was an assured display that Loftus-Cheek should rightfully be pleased with—and a platform for him to get further opportunities, whether it be in the Cup competitions or out on loan, next season.
In his analysis of the game for the Daily Telegraph, Ian Winrow wrote:
"The true test of Mourinho's commitment to promoting from within lies ahead, but the decision to give Ruben Loftus-Cheek a first start is a step in the right direction.
No player has graduated through the ranks and become a first-team regular since John Terry broke through more than a decade [ago]. Since then, a succession of youngsters have come close before falling short but Chelsea's success in winning the UEFA Youth League and the FA Youth Cup this season confirms the depth of talent at the club.
Whether Loftus-Cheek will break that run remains to be seen, but he performed well enough during his 60-minute appearance to suggest he deserves his chance.
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After the game, Mourinho reflected about the youngster's performance, per the Daily Express' Ben Jefferson:
"Ruben Loftus-Cheek, I took him off because I could imagine him suffering in the final 30 minutes.
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He came off at the right moment, he understood what the Premier League is and it couldn't be better.
Loser: Eden Hazard
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Eden Hazard had a noticeably difficult afternoon at Stamford Bridge, making a series of mistakes in a performance that was perhaps affected by the extended leaves many of the Chelsea squad—the Belgian included—were awarded last week.
In normal circumstances, you would expect the PFA Player of the Year, up against Emre Can in an unfamiliar right-back role, to torture his opposite number all afternoon. Instead the winger only occasionally turned beyond Can and created real moments of danger.
On other occasions, his passing or first touch clearly let him down, moments made all the more incongruous considering the generally exceptional standard of his play over the rest of the season.
It looked like he was already on holiday—something he probably had enjoyed during the previous few days.
That is not to criticise the Belgian. With the title already sealed, he has long since done his job, and the club have reaped the rewards. But on this occasion, it was Willian who shone brightest as an attacking threat, the Brazilian flying up and down the pitch like a pocket dynamo as he made a series of impressive interventions in all quadrants of the pitch.
Hazard, for whatever reason, was not quite at that level. Not that any Chelsea fan will have any trouble forgiving him.
Winners: Chelsea Fans
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For Chelsea fans, this was the sort of day all supporters of footballers dream about. The day you win a trophy is surely the pinnacle of the experience, but the games afterwards (whenever they exist), where you get to revel in that triumph, are nearly as sweet.
The opportunity to see the opposition grant your side a guard of honour is not one that comes around very often, and the fans at Stamford Bridge certainly made the most of the moment—with a party atmosphere in evidence throughout the 90 minutes.
Liverpool's fans and players were not excused from the usual "banter" either, with Steven Gerrard pilloried incessantly after his famous slip when the two sides met last season at Anfield. That effectively cost Liverpool their shot at the title, with Gerrard reminded of that moment both aurally and visually, thanks to some laminated signs that a few Blue Peter-loving fans had clearly prepared earlier.
To fans of other clubs, those signs might have come across as spectacularly petty and somewhat idiotic—who spends such time to mock up signs like that, let alone get them laminated?!—but perhaps that misses the point.
Just like their team, who have driven to the title behind an often-pragmatic approach not designed to appeal to the romantics, the Chelsea supporters' signs were something of an in-joke among themselves (and a dig at the travelling supporters) not designed to play to a wider audience.
Other clubs' supporters may have handled the occasion differently, but not many other clubs ever get in such a position in the first place. Chelsea fans will surely remember this day for a while, regardless of any opprobrium they receive.
