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Chelsea 2-1 Man City: Liverpool champions after Christian Pulisic and Willian down Pep Guardiola's side

Report and free highlights as Chelsea beat a valiant Man City to confirm Liverpool as English champions for the first time in 30 years

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights of Chelsea's victory over Manchester City in the Premier League

Liverpool have been crowned Premier League champions after Chelsea's dramatic 2-1 victory over Manchester City left the Reds with an unassailable lead.

City had to win to delay Liverpool's celebrations but a first-half defensive mix-up allowed Christian Pulisic (36) to put Chelsea ahead and, after Kevin De Bruyne's (55) sublime equaliser, Willian fired home a penalty following Fernandinho's red card to seal Chelsea's - and Liverpool's - triumph.

With City 23 points behind Liverpool with just seven games to play, there is now no way back mathematically for Pep Guardiola's back-to-back title winners, while Chelsea celebrated a win which strengthens their hold on a top-four place.

Player ratings

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga (6), Azpilicueta (7), Rudiger (8), Christensen (8), Alonso (6), Kante (7), Barkley (7), Mount (6), Willian (7), Pulisic (8), Giroud (6).

Subs: Abraham (7), Kovacic (6), Pedro (N/A), Gilmour (N/A)

Man City: Ederson (6), Walker (7), Laporte (7), Fernandinho (5), Mendy (3), Rodri (6), Gundogan (5), De Bruyne (8),Bernardo Silva (6), Mahrez (7), Sterling (7).

Subs: David Silva (7), Jesus (6), Zinchenko (6), Otamendi (5)

Man of the match: Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)

How Chelsea helped Liverpool become champions

Kepa Arrizabalaga of Chelsea dispossesses Bernardo Silva of Manchester City
Image: Kepa Arrizabalaga dispossesses Bernardo Silva

At kick-off, Liverpool supporters across the country were watching on excitedly with their first English title in 30 years potentially just 90 minutes away. But City dominated the ball early on and looked likely to make the Reds wait go on when Chelsea stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga nearly handed the visitors a goal, miscuing a pass out and having to stop Bernardo Silva from capitalising.

Kepa impressed moments later though, tipping Fernandinho's header from a set-piece over the bar and Chelsea began to get a foothold, with Ross Barkley seeing one shot blocked and another cleared two yards out by Fernandinho before Andreas Christensen drew a smart stop from Ederson with a header from the resulting corner.

Those chances had come against the run of play and Chelsea took the lead on 36 minutes with a stunning counter-attack.

After a cleared Man City free-kick, Mendy and Gundogan's miscommunication allowed Pulisic to pick up the ball just inside his own half and charge forwards, where, after skipping past Mendy's recovery challenge, the American expertly slotted in from the edge of the penalty area.

Also See:

Team news

  • Two changes for Chelsea, super sub Pulisic started and so did Barkley
  • Six changes for Man City, including Laporte, De Bruyne and Sterling coming in
  • Sterling, Bernardo and Mahrez formed a three-man attack

Both Chelsea and Liverpool supporters will have celebrated that one but just 10 minutes after the break De Bruyne hauled City back on level terms with a sensational free-kick, looping his shot into the top corner from 30 yards out.

Ederson
Image: Ederson was beaten by Christian Pulisic's fine finish

Raheem Sterling then almost completed the turn around when he chipped over Kepa and onto the post from a fast City break before Mason Mount blew a great chance to put Chelsea back in front, skewing wide on 62 minutes.

Sterling again went close, bending a shot just beyond the far post after Antonio Rudiger had survived a VAR check on his painful - but legal - collision with De Bruyne from a clearance.

However, despite City being in full flow, Chelsea remained dangerous on the break and Kyle Walker pulled off an incredible sliding goalline clearance to deny Pulisic a second on 72 minutes when Chelsea and Liverpool supporters were just about to celebrate.

Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City closes down Ross Barkley of Chelsea
Image: Ilkay Gundogan closes down Ross Barkley

That Chelsea threat eventually proved too much when Fernandinho resorted to pushing away a Tammy Abraham shot with his arm on the City goalline, after Ederson had twice denied the England man. After a VAR check, the City defender was shown a red card and Willian blasted emphatically into the top corner.

It was a big moment for the Brazilian, who could leave the Blues this summer, and helped Chelsea boost their Champions League qualifying hopes. But it was a far bigger moment for Liverpool supporters who celebrated outside Anfield.

Opta stats

  • 2019-20 is the third of the last six Premier League seasons to see the title decided in a match played at Stamford Bridge (Chelsea v Crystal Palace in 2014-15 and Chelsea v Tottenham in 2015-16), and the fourth of those six to be decided in a game involving Chelsea (also West Brom v Chelsea in 2016-17).
  • Chelsea have won back-to-back Premier League home games against Manchester City for the first time since the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.
  • Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola suffered his fourth defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - across all competitions, the only away venue he has lost as many games at in his managerial career is Anfield (four against Liverpool).
  • Chelsea's Christian Pulisic scored his seventh goal of the Premier League season; the most of any player in the competition aged 21 or under.
  • Kevin De Bruyne's goal was his 16th from outside the box in the Premier League; the most of any player in the competition since his Manchester City debut in September 2015.

What's next?

Live Premier League

Chelsea now go to Leicester on Sunday at 4pm in the Premier League.

City are at Newcastle in the FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday at 6.30pm, before their clash with Liverpool on Thursday evening at 8.15pm, live on Sky Sports.

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