Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (2002-03 FA Premier League)
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool was the final match of the 2002-03 Premier League season. The match was a crucial one; the Blues needed a point in order to qualify for the following season's UEFA Champions League, while Liverpool – one place behind Chelsea – would leapfrog the home side were they to win. Sami Hyypiä put Liverpool ahead early on, but Marcel Desailly equalised almost immediately, and a superb run and shot from Jesper Grønkjær put the Blues in control in the 27th minute. It would be the final goal of the game as Chelsea secured a place in Europe's premier club competition.
The match is of broader retrospective importance in Chelsea's history, being the last competitive match before Roman Abramovich bought the club prior to the 2003-04 season. The club faced an uncertain financial future before the Russian's acquisition, and it has been speculated that qualification for the Champions League was a key factor in Abramovich's decision to invest in the west London club. [1]
Match details
| 11 May 2003 | Chelsea | 2 - 1 | Liverpool | Venue: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 41,911 Referee: Alan Wiley |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Desailly  14'Gronkjaer 27' | Hyypiä 11' Gerrard  89' |
Match reports
Highlights
| 2002-03 season |
| Premier League: |
| Charlton (A) • Man Utd (H) • Southampton (A) • Arsenal (H) • Blackburn (A) • Newcastle (H) • Fulham (A) West Ham (H) • Liverpool (A) • Man City (A) • West Brom (H) • Tottenham (A) • Birmingham (H) • Middlesbrough (H) Bolton (A) • Sunderland (H) • Everton (A) • Middlesbrough (A) • Aston Villa (H) • Southampton (H) • Leeds Utd (A) • Arsenal (A) Charlton (H) • Man Utd (A) • Leeds Utd (H) • Tottenham (H) • Birmingham (A) • Blackburn (H) • Newcastle (A) • West Brom (A) Man City (H) • Sunderland (A) • Bolton (H) • Aston Villa (A) • Everton (H) • Fulham (H) • West Ham (A) • Liverpool (H) |
| FA Cup: |
| 3rd Round: Middlesbrough | 4th Round: Shrewsbury | 5th Round: Stoke | 6th Round: Arsenal • Replay |
| League Cup: |
| 3rd Round: Gillingham | 4th Round: Everton | 5th round: Man Utd |
| UEFA Cup: |
