Liverpool Draw at Chelsea Confirms the Inevitable as Champions League Hopes Fade

Liverpool's slim hopes of a top-four finish were made even slimmer—almost impossible—by a draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.

With Manchester United having won at Crystal Palace the day before, Brendan Rodgers' side knew they needed to win their three remaining fixtures to stand any chance of catching their rivals. But the 1-1 draw at Chelsea means they're now left with the mathematical, rather than realistic, possibility—needing to not only make up six points but also a 14-goal margin in their final two games.

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Liverpool will not play in the Champions League next season. 

They have, though, consolidated fifth place, meaning they will avoid any pre-season disruption with Europa League qualifying games.

Rodgers insisted post-match that his side will continue while they mathematically still have a chance, but a 14-goal swing is not going to be achieved in the final two fixtures against Crystal Palace and Stoke City.

History

This is not the first time Liverpool's Champions League qualification hopes have ended at Stamford Bridge.

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Back in 2003, the two sides went head-to-head in the final game of the season, with the winner knowing they would qualify for the following season's Champions League.

Liverpool took the lead but were defeated by Claudio Ranieri's side, 2-1, after Jesper Gronkjaer hit the winner for the home side to give Chelsea the crucial fourth-place finish.

Twelve years later and Chelsea were already champions before this match. While Sky Sports attempted to talk up the race for fourth place as still being an exciting one, Liverpool's chances were already extremely slim even before this game.

Liverpool 2014-15

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Liverpool didn't play badly on Sunday, in fact, it was one of their better performances of what has been a thoroughly underwhelming campaign.

The performance and result perhaps typified their season, with plenty of productive play in two-thirds of the pitch but lacking a killer instinct in the final third. Who knows how the season might have played out had Daniel Sturridge not been injured for most of it or had the club adequately replaced Luis Suarez.

Rodgers opted for Jerome Sinclair from the bench for the final half-hour. The 18-year-old was in the squad ahead of Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Lazar Markovic—showing that the exit door looms for two of them this summer.

Liverpool 2015-16

Speaking post-match, Steven Gerrard urged the club's owners, Fenway Sports Group, to "dig deep to try and help Brendan and the lads out and try and make some additions and improve," per Press Association (h/t This Is Anfield).

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"There's a great core of players here, some great potential," he added. "But it's important that you try and compete with the giant clubs in the league because they're going to spend big every single year, and it's important to keep up."

It's not the first time Gerrard has spoken about the future of Liverpool after he departs this summer, earlier this year having urged the owners to sort the futures of key duo Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling.

Liverpool must really look to sign quality, proven and experienced players this summer, ones that can impact the first team immediately. They must break from their desired strategy of buying for the future, otherwise that future could be one that will not see them back in the Champions League for a long time.