Chelsea outclassed below-par champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge to earn a vital win in their quest for Champions League football. Enzo Fernandez's strike, a bizarre Jarell Quansah own goal and a late Cole Palmer penalty sealed a 3-1 win.

Liverpool appeared to have taken the foot off the gas on a rare off-day for Arne Slot's players. This was quite the comedown after celebrating winning the Premier League with a thumping 5-1 victory over Tottenham exactly a week ago. Palmer and Romeo Lavia ran the show as the Blues enjoyed one of their better top-flight performances of the year. It also puts them into fifth following and the pressure is now on Nottingham Forest to keep the European race alive by beating Crystal Palace tomorrow.

Here are Express Sport's player ratings.

Chelsea player ratings

Robert Sanchez - 6

Sanchez had very little to do on a rare comfortable afternoon. Chelsea looked much more secure in defence.

Moises Caicedo - 7

Stepping into the middle of the pitch when Chelsea had possession, Caicedo ensured his side controlled that position against Liverpool’s weakened midfield.

Trevoh Chalobah - 6

Chalobah had a good game, although Diogo Jota would have hoped to test him more often.

Levi Colwill - 7

Colwill made several good challenges and interceptions to prevent Liverpool from getting near Chelsea's goal.

Marc Cucurella - 7

Not many left-backs have kept Salah this quiet this season.

Romeo Lavia - 8

Chelsea are unfortunate to have been without Lavia for much of the season. The Belgian was brilliant at Stamford Bridge, making snappy challenges and using the ball progressively. Chelsea tick better with Lavia in midfield.

Enzo Fernandez - 7

Fernandez's excellent finish in the first half set Chelsea on their way. He was a constant menace to Liverpool's midfield.

Pedro Neto - 6

Neto was the quieter of Chelsea's wide men but still grabbed the assist with a well-timed pass to Fernandez.

Cole Palmer - 9

This was Palmer's best performance of 2025. His turn and pass helped to create the first goal, before his mazy run and cross ended with Liverpool's comical own goal. Unlucky not to score, Palmer struck the post with 10 minutes remaining before converting a late penalty.

Noni Madueke - 7

Madueke gave Alexander-Arnold a tough afternoon and would have scored a first-half goal, had Nicolas Jackson not strayed offside in the build-up.

Nicolas Jackson - 4

Jackson could be on a pitch with a thousand other players and still find a way to be offside. Two frustrating lapses of concentration in the first half prevented Chelsea from going further ahead.

Jadon Sancho (for Jackson '72) - 6

Sancho skewed a late chance.

Malo Gusto (for Lavia '78) - N/A

Reece James (for Fernandez '88) - N/A

Liverpool player ratings

Alisson - 5

Alisson's hesitation in the first half nearly earned him a red card in the first half after he brought down Jackson outside the penalty area. However, the Chelsea forward was offside.

Trent Alexander-Arnold - 4

This was a mixed game for the Real Madrid-bound star. Alexander-Arnold started brightly, nearly combining with Salah to create a goal. He quickly faded and was taken off before the hour.

Jarell Quansah - 4

Quansah's display was not the performance to endear Arne Slot, who has harboured reservations over the academy graduate this season. On just his third Premier League start of the campaign, Quansah looked nervy next to Van Dijk and deflected his defensive partner's clearance into his own net. The late penalty he conceded will have proven to Slot that he was right to dump Quansah for Ibrahima Konate midway through the first game of the season.

Virgil van Dijk - 4

Van Dijk's late header does not render this any better a performance. He had a couple of rash moments, including a poor tackle on Lavia. The Liverpool captain's woeful clearance struck Quansah and bobbled in.

Kostas Tsimikas - 5

Tsimikas mostly defended well but had little support in attempting to nullify the dual threat of Palmer and Neto.

Endo Wataru - 5

Endo had a couple of decent moments but Chelsea's midfield won the battle in the centre of the pitch.

Curtis Jones - 5

Jones was perhaps Liverpool's best player, creating a couple of chances in the first half. He was caught out on a number of occasions in a deeper midfield role, though.

Mohamed Salah - 5

This game largely drifted by without any major influence from Salah. He's a allowed an off-day.

Harvey Elliott - 4

Surprisingly, this was Elliott's first start of the season. That showed in the first half, with some loose passes going astray.

Cody Gakpo - 4

Gakpo was largely anonymous in the first half.

Diogo Jota - 4

It's remarkable amid the narrative around Arsenal's centre-forward struggles that Liverpool have steamrolled the Premier League without one either. Jota, who is better playing a supporting role, did little to threaten Chelsea's centre-backs.

Substitutes

Conor Bradley (for Alexander-Arnold '57) - 5

Bradley struggled to get forward after replacing Alexander-Arnold.

Darwin Nunez (for Jota ' 58) - 3

A shocking header from close range bounced well wide of goal. It summed up Liverpool's day, and Nunez's Reds career. This is a player who needs to go in the summer.

Alexis Mac Allister (for Elliott '70) - 5

Dominik Szoboszlai (for Endo '70)- 5