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Chelsea boosted their hopes of Champions League qualification as Olivier Giroud\u2019s first half header earned a 1-0 win over Liverpool.<\/p>\nChelsea boosted their hopes of Champions League qualification as Olivier Giroud\u2019s first half header earned a 1-0 win over Liverpool.<\/p>\n
Tottenham\u2019s loss at West Brom on Saturday and Giroud\u2019s fourth goal in five games, earning a win over Champions League finalists Liverpool, took Antonio Conte\u2019s Blues two points behind their London rivals with two games to go.<\/p>\n
The Reds have work to do to secure their place in Europe\u2019s elite competition as an intense contest in stifling heat proved too much at the end of a week which saw Jurgen Klopp\u2019s men advance to the Champions League final.<\/p>\n
The Blues play Huddersfield and Newcastle; Spurs play Newcastle and Leicester, both at home.<\/p>\n
Victory against Brighton next Sunday would secure Liverpool\u2019s top four place, despite Klopp\u2019s first loss in six meetings against Chelsea.<\/p>\n
Liverpool, who play Real Madrid on May 26 seeking a sixth European Cup, started the better as Chelsea struggled to string passes together.<\/p>\n
It took until the ninth minute and a crunching tackle from James Milner on Eden Hazard to rouse the hosts.<\/p>\n
Marcos Alonso, immediately restored following suspension, shot straight at Loris Karius, but danger lurked for Chelsea.<\/p>\n
N\u2019Golo Kante\u2019s covering tackle halted Sadio Mane as the striker bore down on a back-pedalling Gary Cahill.<\/p>\n
Mane hit a half-chance over from Nathaniel Clyne\u2019s cross and then his crisp strike from 25 yards was turned away by Thibaut Courtois.<\/p>\n
The goalkeeper clawed away Trent Alexander-Arnold\u2019s corner as Virgil van Dijk loitered at the far post and Mane was then twice denied by Courtois.<\/p>\n
Chelsea had chances too. Tiemoue Bakayoko headed Victor Moses\u2019 cross just wide across goal before Chelsea scored from the same source.<\/p>\n
Bakayoko found Victor Moses, who checked back on to his left foot. His cross deflected slightly off Mane for Giroud to plant a perfectly placed header into the corner.<\/p>\n
Curiously the Frenchman celebrated by signalling out David Luiz, the injured Chelsea defender who was sitting behind the home dugout. The pair shared a bear hug to celebrate Giroud\u2019s fifth goal in his last six Premier League starts.<\/p>\n
Chelsea might have made it two within moments of the restart. Hazard fed Cesc Fabregas in the right channel and the playmaker\u2019s shot fizzed wide across goal.<\/p>\n
Mohamed Salah, who was having a mixed afternoon against Antonio Rudiger, was booked for diving on the edge of the area and Clyne followed for an ugly tackle on Alonso.<\/p>\n
Hazard hoodwinked Roberto Firmino, Georginio Wijnaldum and Clyne and Karius scrambled the cross clear. Rudiger thought he had scored from the resulting corner, but the Germany defender was offside.<\/p>\n
Clyne was replaced by Jordan Henderson \u2013 the captain had been rested from the starting line-up \u2013 and Alexander-Arnold returned to right-back.<\/p>\n
Henderson provided more of an attacking threat to Kante and Bakayoko in Chelsea\u2019s midfield, but the battle-hardened Blues pair stood firm.<\/p>\n
Salah fell to ground under a challenge from Cahill, but referee Anthony Taylor waved the appeal away.<\/p>\n
Klopp wanted more from his side. Dominic Solanke, whose transfer fee from Chelsea is yet to be decided by tribunal, came on with 16 minutes remaining.<\/p>\n
Alonso volleyed wide from Moses\u2019 cross with a strike reminiscent of Marco van Basten, without the accuracy.<\/p>\n
Liverpool threw bodies forwards, but created few chances. Solanke, seeking his first Reds goal, headed over and then wide and the Reds were beaten.<\/p>\n