Six of the best as Chelsea dismantle Liverpool
Lionel Messi ran the show at the Drogba Arena as the champions cruised to a 6-1 victory that leaves Liverpool's title hopes in tatters.
The number that mattered most was six. Chelsea put six past Liverpool at the Drogba Arena, and the scoreline did not flatter the champions. Júnior struck twice in the opening 23 minutes, Marcelo Formicola added a third before the break, and Lionel Messi scored twice in the second half as the Blues ran riot. Mark Taylor grabbed a consolation for Liverpool, but the gap between the sides was as wide as the 16 points that separated them before kick-off.
Our preview had called this a title race on the line. Liverpool needed a result to keep any realistic hope alive; instead they were swept aside. Chelsea's expected shape was 4-3-3 DM Wide, and they started that way, but by the end they had shifted to a 4-1-2-2-1 DM Wide, a change that only underlined their control. The key duels we identified went Chelsea's way: Júnior tormented Sam Lowson before Lowson was introduced, and Messi was too much for Roberto Ştefănescu. Liverpool's injuries had forced changes – Rodrigo Caballero started at left-back, Peterson Lemes led the line – but even a first-choice XI would have struggled.
The old boys had little to cheer. Sikiru Isa, once of Chelsea, completed 94 of 96 passes but could not stem the tide. Matt Allen, another former Blue, was not in the squad. The game was settled long before the substitutes arrived, though Conall Beck and Taylor at least gave the travelling support a moment to savour.
For Chelsea, this was a statement. They remain unbeaten, and the title run that began in 2022/23 shows no sign of ending. For Liverpool, the wait for a first league championship since 2019/20 goes on. Robert Pladevall's side have now lost three of their last five, and the gap to the top is a chasm. The question is no longer whether Chelsea will win the league, but by how many points.