Di Matteo gamble fails to pay as Chelsea’s top-four hopes die
PREMIER LEAGUE
LIVERPOOL 4 Vs CHELSEA 1
CHELSEA interim manager Roberto di Matteo conceded Liverpool deserved to end their hopes of a top-four Premier League finish after making eight changes from the side that beat the Reds in Saturday’s FA Cup final.
Goals from Jordan Henderson, Daniel Agger and Jonjo Shelvey followed Michael Essien’s own goal to leave Chelsea, for whom Ramires scored, five points from fourth with only a game remaining.
“I thought Liverpool were the better side tonight,” said Di Matteo, whose side must now win the 19 May Champions League final to qualify for next year’s competition. “They were inspired. I though we would have a better chance with a fresh team.
“We’ve played with these players all season and they carried us this far. There was still a chance of fourth spot before tonight. We’ve tried hard but Liverpool were better than us today.”
The home side began brightly when Luis Suarez darted into the area and cutback onto the unfortunate Essien to give them a 20th-minute lead. Just five minutes later John Terry’s slip then allowed Henderson to delightfully curl the ball in for Liverpool’s second, before Agger headed a third from close range.
Stewart Downing then hit the bar with a shot before striking a penalty against the post after Branislav Ivanovic, for which he was lucky to avoid dismissal, had elbowed the impressive Andy Carroll in the face.
Chelsea briefly threatened five minutes after the restart when Florent Malouda’s inswinging delivery bounced off of Ramires’s thigh before clipping Pepe Reina and rolling in, though Liverpool imminently regained control and capitalised when Ross Turbull’s clearance fell to Shelvey to lash the ball into the top corner of an empty net from over 30 yards.
Agger and Carroll wasted further convincing chances, and Suarez should have been sent off after elbowing Ivanovic in the mouth, but Liverpool’s lead was never in doubt.