Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool: Remembering a defining moment in Blues history
Chelsea welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge on Friday night in a mouthwatering clash. Ahead of the game, let’s remember a key moment in the history of this fixture, and Chelsea itself.
Down the years, Chelsea and Liverpool have squared off in a number of tense and exciting matchups. However, there is one particular game that will live forever in the memory of true Blues fans. A 2-1 victory over the Reds in 2003 gave birth to the modern Chelsea we know today.
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Heading into the final game of the 2002/03 Premier League campaign on Sunday 11th May, Chelsea knew that they had to beat Liverpool to secure Champions League football. Conversely, the Reds had to do the same. The game was to take place in front of a highly-charged Stamford Bridge crowd of 41,911.
The Chelsea team of the time was full of stars, but most of them were quite far into their career. Claudio Ranieri had the likes of Marcel Desailly, Emmanuel Petit, Frank Lampard and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in his starting eleven. Gianfranco Zola was on the bench.
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The game started poorly for the Blues as they fell behind early. Sami Hyypia rose well to convert an 11th-minute free-kick to put the visitors ahead. The Bridge was silenced.
However, the home team came immediately roaring back. Two minutes later, Marcel Desailly nodded home a Jesper Gronkjaer cross to level the score.
The winger then produced a moment of magic to score what would ultimately be the winning goal. A left-footed effort from the edge of the box curled past Jerzy Dudek and into the far corner. This strike secured a spot in Europe’s premier competition, but it also secured something much more significant.
