Liverpool Won The Premier League Following Chelsea’s 2-1 Win Over Manchester City

Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening meant that perhaps the most important Premier League match in the club’s history would not take place with the Reds on the pitch. If Thursday’s tilt between Chelsea and Manchester City ended with anything other than a City win, then for the first time in Premier League history, Liverpool would be champions.

After 90 scintillating minutes of football, the decades-long wait on Merseyside ended up coming to its conclusion thanks to a 2-1 Chelsea victory.

The story of the match was how a pair of Manchester City blunders led to Chelsea’s goals. While City appeared in control of the game at the start of things, Chelsea broke the scoreless affair thanks to Christian Pulisic. Benjamin Mendy and Ilkay Gundogan had a miscommunication upon which the American was able to pounce. Showing off the pace, dribbling, and skill that made him one of the most expensive signings in club history, Pulisic took on both Mendy and Gundogan en route to a silky finish from the top of the box.

City, however, have been proud Premier League champions for nearly 900 days, thanks in large part to the brilliance of Kevin de Bruyne. The Belgian, who very well might be the best midfielder in the world, has saved his squad on plenty of occasions, and looked primed to do it once more when he buried a gorgeous free kick in the second half.

From there, the match decided to descend into complete and utter chaos. Pulisic looked primed to pick up his second of the match, as he absolutely blew past Fernandinho and beat Ederson. His finish, however, was not powerful enough, and Kyle Walker was able to narrowly clear the ball off the line.

Minutes later, it appeared a goal line clearance happened once again, as Ederson and Fernandinho teamed up to thwart Chelsea once again. The issue, though, was that Fernandinho used his hand, leading to a red card and a penalty. Willian stepped up to the spot, Ederson went the wrong way, and Liverpool came mere minutes away from earning the title.

With 10 men on the pitch and needing two goals to keep their slight title hopes alive, City weren’t able to turn the fight they showed for the final few minutes into anything. The whistle blew in London, and several hundred miles away, the (hopefully socially distant) celebration in Liverpool began.

Liverpool had seemed preordained to win the title from early on this year, as the Reds played with a ruthlessness that no club in the world was able to match on a nightly basis. While the Prem’s COVID-19 delay meant that that coronation would have to wait a little longer than Jurgen Klopp and co. would have liked, waiting a few more months is nothing when it’s been 30 years since their last time earning the distinction of being the kings of England.

While crowning a champion is done and dusted, there are still several more matches to play in this campaign. By nature of being the champions, Liverpool have earned a guard of honour from their opponents ahead of their next Premier League match. Because the footballing gods have quite the sense of humor about them, the Reds will next take the pitch on Thursday, July 2, when they travel to the Ethiad Stadium to square off against Manchester City.