Liverpool face their penultimate game of the season ahead of the presentation of the Premier League trophy.
The reds wrapped up the title almost a month ago with a record seven games still left to play. The wait to collect a 19th title, and a first in 30 years, seems to have stretched on for some time.
Whilst Liverpool have, perhaps understandably, switched on to cruise control for the past four weeks Chelsea certainly have motivation for maximum points. They beat Man United at the weekend to reach the FA Cup Final, and manager Frank Lampard desperately needs another 3 points to move them closer to Champions League football next season.
For the reds, the pre-match discussion has been all about the trophy presentation after the game. So can the reds keep their focus on football ahead of the presentation?
As it happened...
It's been a long wait, but tonight is the night.
????????????#LFCchampions pic.twitter.com/4JRLP4pjPz
— Premier League (@premierleague) July 22, 2020
Bit of a strange situation tonight with fans encouraged to stay away from Anfield.
Despite the outpouring of emotion following Liverpool's title victory back in June, Coronavirus rates in Liverpool are actually far lower than many areas of the UK.
The city has recorded just one positive case per 25,000 people in the past week, and pubs and businesses around Anfield are all open - further compounding the issue.
However, the police and club have advised fans not to congregate.
Up to 7,000 fans in Leeds congregated last weekend after they secured promotion to the Premier League.
Here's tonight's LFC team. One change - Keita in for Ox. Milner back on the bench.
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Keita, Mane, Salah, Firmino.
Subs: Adrian, Lovren, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Lallana, Shaqiri, Origi, Jones.
Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Zouma, Alonso, Jorginho, Kovacic, James, Willian, Giroud, Mount
Caballero, Christensen, Tomori, Emerson, Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Pedro, Abraham, Hudson-Odoi
— Anfield Online (@anfieldonline) July 22, 2020
Underway at Anfield!
8'' Chelsea with the most to play for, unsurprisingly, have started well.
Good work from Willian there on the right and a chance falls to Mason Mount inside the box but he heads over.
23' WOW! What a smash from Naby Keita. Absolutely smashes that one in from the edge of the area, thwacks off the crossbar on the way in.
Excellent.
Boom!pic.twitter.com/4S1h2JB1lw
— Anfield Online (@anfieldonline) July 22, 2020
33' Mason Mount collects the ball just inside Liverpool's half and carries on the run. LFC players have stopped believing him to be offside.
He puts the ball in the net but VAR does confirm that he's offside.
Goal ruled out.
38' Boom!
Alexander-Arnold fires in the free kick - Arrizabalaga absolutely nowhere near it. Stunning goal from the scouser.
43' Corner in. Looks like Chelsea got away with a handball but Gini Wijnaldum is there to smash it into the net. 3-0. Who said Liverpool didn't have anything to play for.
48' Chelsea grab one back at the end of this half.
Cross takes a deflection - snapshot from Willian that Alisson gets a hand to but Giroud manages to slide it over the line.
HALF TIME
Liverpool 3-1 Chelsea
We're back underway. Come on the reds.
50' Mo Salah is on a one on one and he puts that shot well wide of Kepa.
Should have worked the goalkeeper there. Golden Boot probably not happening this season for the Egyptian.
55' Finally! Bobby Firmino scores at Anfield in the last half of the home season. Alexander-Arnold with the assist, Firmino with the header into the Kop.
4-1!
60' Three subs for Chelsea. Pulisic, Abraham and Hudson-Odoi replace Giroud, Mount and Willian.
Two of Chelsea's substitutes immediately involved there. Pulisic with good work to lay the ball in for Abraham to tap in.
66' Keita and Wijnaldum off - on come James Milner and in his 5th PL appearance of the season - Curtis Jones.
Another scouser who will getting a Premier League medal tonight.
73' Pulisic looks a real player for Chelsea. He collects the cross in the centre of the area and swivels and fires past Alisson.
Bit of a game here.
Chelsea desperate for Champions League football - Liverpool just waiting for this trophy lift.
77' Two corners for the reds in quick succession.
79' Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Mo Salah.
82' Chelsea working hard to try and get that equaliser. Could be an important point for them in trying to secure Champions League football for next season.
Fireworks going off all around Anfield. Liverpool fans want this over and get on to the main event - I'd imagine the players probably feel the same way.
84' Bit of a daft foul by Gomez in a dangerous postiion. Liverpool clear....
84' ..and straight up the other end and Oxlade-Chamberlain drills it into the Kop net.
5-3
88' Minamino and Origi replace Firmino and Mane.
No room for a sentimental farewell for Adam Lallana.
92' Rising cross that Virgil van Dijk can't keep down. He puts that over the bar.
All over.
Liverpool 5-3 Chelsea
That's the reds with 96 points and a game to play.
⚽ Keita (23)
⚽ Alexander-Arnold (38)
⚽ Wijnaldum (43)
⚽ Giroud (45+3)
⚽ Firmino (55)
⚽ Abraham (61)
⚽ Pulisic (73)
⚽ Oxlade-Chamberlain (84)
Players making their way up to collect their Premier League medals on The Kop.
Klopp, obviously, was up there first.
#LFCchampions pic.twitter.com/Vek2lGukJy
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) July 22, 2020
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— Neil Jones (@neiljonesgoal) July 22, 2020
