Chelsea’s Europe hopes resting on the final

4-1 loss at Liverpool means the Blues need to beat Bayern to be in next CL.

LONDON: Chelsea will have to win the Champions League final if they are to compete in next season’s edition after a 4-1 defeat by Liverpool on Tuesday ended their hopes of a top-four Premier League finish.

Change of fortunes for Chelsea

Just three days after beating Liverpool 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Wembley, Chelsea were 3-0 behind inside half an hour at Anfield following an own-goal from Michael Essien and goals from Jordan Henderson and Daniel Agger.

Ramires scored for Chelsea early in the second half before Jonjo Shelvey ended any hope of a comeback with his first Premier League goal.

England’s top four clubs will enter next term’s Champions League unless Chelsea beat Bayern Munich at the German club’s ground in the final on May 19.

If Chelsea win, it will deprive the team in fourth of a place in the preliminary round.

More was asked of the team: Dalglish

Victory in their final home league game of the season took Liverpool into eighth in the Premier League table but, despite a League Cup final win over second-tier Cardiff this term, no-one knows better than Reds manager and Anfield great Kenny Dalglish that more is expected of the Merseysiders.

“The players and everyone will be happy we ended on a high note,” said the former Liverpool and Scotland striker.

“That performance was on a par with many this season but we’ve not had the results those deserve. For us it is a satisfactory evening and I hope the supporters go away happy.

“I don’t think there are many other places where supporters would turn up and be so supportive, especially after the Cup final.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2012.