KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: Liverpool are certain to end the Premier League season by celebrating their first English championship triumph since 1990 and 19th in all.

Jurgen Klopp’s men had crushed Crystal Palace 4-0 on Wednesday which meant outgoing champions Manchester City had to win away to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. In the end they lost 2-1 after being reduced to 10 men by the late expulsion of Fernandinho.

Chelsea, eager to cement their claim to at least a fourth place which will return them to the Champions League, struggled to cope with City’s early pressure. In the 36th minute they snatched the lead through Christian Pulisic who punished a misunderstanding between Ilkay Gundogan and Bernard Mendy.

City raised the tempo in the second half. They equalised with a superb 55th-minute free kick from Kevin de Bruyne and were unlucky when Raheem Sterling hit a post.

The drinks break gave Chelsea a chance to regroup and they regained the lead with a 78th-minute penalty by Willian after Fernandinho had handled a goal-bound effort from substitute Tammy Abraham in a goalmouth scramble.

VAR guided referee Stuart Attwell in both confirming the penalty award and red card for the veteran Brazilian.

Liverpool thus became champions with two records to their name – landing the prize with seven games to spare and later in the year than anyone else.

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