Chelsea throw the title race wide open

Chelsea 4 Liverpool

Liverpool's Championship pretensions were ruthlessly exposed by an effervescent Chelsea at Stamford Bridge yesterday afternoon. In the absence of the injured Michael Owen and the departed Robbie Fowler, the Premiership leaders were revealed as attacking lightweights. With that failing exacerbated by an unusually porous defence Liverpool were condemned to their heaviest Premiership defeat in nine years.

With Arsenal dropping two points on Saturday, and Leeds following suit at home to Leicester yesterday, Liverpool could have moved into a six-point lead. Instead, Arsenal can overtake them if they beat Newcastle at Highbury tomorrow. By then Aston Villa, should they defeat Ipswich tonight, will have joined a leading pack of eight clubs separated by just six points. The Premiership heads towards an unusually demanding holiday programme with the title race wide open.

None will welcome this more than Sir Alex Ferguson. In five days his Manchester United team, written off a fortnight ago, have slashed Liverpool's 11-point advantage to five. By the new year it may have vanished completely for the champions have the easiest holiday programme, beginning next weekend, when Liverpool meet Arsenal, and Leeds play Newcastle, while Manchester United play Southampton at home.

Chelsea are fifth, a place ahead of Manchester United with the same points total. But despite putting both them and Liverpool to the sword this month Claudio Ranieri does not regard his team as championship contenders. The Chelsea manager said: "We are not ready for the championship. There are three to four better teams than us. Manchester United have been 14 years in the building, Arsenal, Leeds and Liverpool five years. I start now. Our target this year is to get into the Champions' League." Ranieri, who hasfaced severe criticism from supporters and media recently, added: "I'm very happy about the game, the spirit, the fans."

Phil Thompson, Liverpool's caretaker manager, said: "I'm disappointed with the scoreline, but it did not reflect the game. The effort was there but not the rub of the green. We have showed character in the past and we now have to get ourselves together for Arsenal."

Owen, said Thompson, had felt a hamstring niggle after training on Friday. "Because of his history we didn't want to take a chance," said Thompson. "But we're positive he'll be ready to play Arsenal."

Without Owen, Liverpool lacked a penalty-box finisher and an outlet. Jari Litmanen was suffocated by Chelsea's midfield while Emile Heskey rarely escaped the excellent William Gallas and John Terry. While Carlo Cudicini had to make a string of excellent saves most were from set-pieces, where Liverpool's height meant they always threatened, or from breaking midfielders. With Milan Baros, their planned signing from Banik Ostrava, failing to secure a work permit, Thompson's only attacking option on the bench was a young Irish winger, Richard Partridge. He did not get on.

Chelsea's greater fluidity had been demonstrated as early as the second minute when Graeme Le Saux, having combined well with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, got between Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia. Le Saux's shot hit the post, but he knocked the rebound in himself.

Liverpool almost produced a quick leveller but Hyypia was denied by Cudicini, the bar and Gallas after meeting Gary McAllister's corner at the near post. After Dudek had saved from Hasselbaink, and Cudicini had foiled Gerrard following a sparkling run, came the first of two pivotal incidents. Cudicini, getting down to a 25-yard drive from Igor Biscan, appeared to push the ball around the post. The referee, Mark Halsey, gave a goal-kick. This was flicked on by Sam Dalla Bona to Eidur Gudjohnsen. He released Hasselbaink, who scored his 13th goal of the season.

"I think everybody could see the keeper saved it," said Thompson, who harangued the referee at the final whistle. He added: "The big decisions are ones you should not get wrong."

Lampard ought to have added a third before the break but the midfielder, with one goal this season, back in September, is lacking his usual confidence in shooting positions and shot weakly.

This failure to shut Liverpool out could have proved expensive but for Cudicini. With Thompson reshaping his team, John Arne Riise moving to the left flank, Danny Murphy to the right and Steven Gerrard to central midfield, Liverpool began the second half reinvigorated. Cudicini had already denied Hyypia again when Riise was brought down in the box by Mario Melchiot. This was the second key moment. Had Liverpool scored then Chelsea might have wobbled, but Cudicini athletically denied McAllister. Though the Italian had to make further saves from Riise, twice, and McAllister, before Dalla Bona made the game safe from Le Saux's cross, the die was cast.

Liverpool's humiliation, and their first League defeat under Thompson's command, was completed in the final minute when Gianfranco Zola opened up their left flank for Gudjohnsen to score.

The Bridge was in raptures but, though the margin was surprising, the result was not. The Blues have a demanding holiday programme with games against Arsenal and Newcastle but it is the fixtures against Bolton and Southampton which may worry their supporters most. "We play well against big teams but not normal ones. We must play with the same mentality against all teams," said Ranieri.

If the Italian can solve that fault, Chelsea will be in the final shake-up. As should Liverpool, if Owen can stay fit.

Goals: Le Saux 1-0 (2); Hasselbaink (27) 2-0; Dalla Bona (70) 3-0; Gudjohnsen (90) 4-0.

Chelsea (4-4-2): Cudicini 8; Melchiot 5, Terry 7, Gallas 8, Babayaro 6; Stanic 4 (Jokanovic 67, 6), Lampard 5, Dalla Bona 7, Le Saux 8 (Zenden, 90); Hasselbaink 7 (Zola, 87), Gudjohnsen 6. Substitutes not used: De Goey (gk), Forssell.

Liverpool (4-4-2): Dudek 6; Carragher 4, Henchoz 5, Hyypia 5, Riise 6; Gerrard 6, Biscan 5 (Wright h-t, 4), McAllister 5, Murphy 6; Litmanen 3, Heskey 4. Substitutes not used: Kirkland (gk), Heggem, Diomede, Partridge.

Referee: M Halsey (Welwyn) 4.

Booked: Chelsea: Stanic, Gudjohnsen. Liverpool: Heskey, Wright, Murphy.

Man of the match: Le Saux

Attendance: 41,174.