London (AFP)

England champion Liverpool beat Chelsea 5-3 at home before being handed the trophy in an empty kop on Wednesday on the penultimate day of the England league which also saw Manchester United move from fifth to third place despite a sad draw against West Ham (1-1).

The Red Devils (3rd, 63 points) will need a draw on Sunday at Leicester (5th, 62 points) to return to the Champions League. Mandatory draw also for Chelsea (4th, 63 points), who will receive Wolverhampton (6th, 59 points).

Mathematically assured to be champions since the end of June, and eliminated from all other competitions, the Liverpool Reds have logically been less sharp in recent weeks. They regained their effectiveness during the last game of the season at Anfield, still emptied of its supporters.

Before receiving the Premier League trophy in the middle of their kop, decorated with banners and fan tarpaulins, Jürgen Klopp's players largely dominated Chelsea. The performance is real, knowing that the Blues needed a point to secure their qualification for the next Champions League. Blues which will, suddenly, under pressure Sunday, in front of Wolverhampton, a team which will for its part ensure its qualification for the Europa League.

Liverpool made the difference in the first period, leading 3-0 after 43 minutes of play (Keita in the 23rd, Alexander-Arnold in the 38th, then Wijnaldum in the 43rd). Olivier Giroud, who has never been more essential to Chelsea than in recent weeks, reduced the score just before the break.

Firmino's goal (55th, 4-1) suggested that Liverpool could afford a final bouquet, as fireworks crackled around the stadium. Abraham (61st, 4-2), then Pulisic (73rd, 4-3) gave hope to the Londoners, until Oxlade-Chamberlain released his team against (84th, 5-3).

- Manchester United worried -

After a series of victories since the resumption of June - mainly against modest teams - the Red Devils have come down from their cloud. Including this poor draw conceded against West Ham (1-1), they have won only one of their last four matches. Beyond the results, the manner questions.

Against West Ham, but also against Chelsea on Sunday in the FA Cup (1-3), the Red Devils have too often left the initiative of the game to their opponents. The sequences of the quartet Fernandes, Rashford, Greenwood, Martial were almost nonexistent, apart from the good one-two between Martial and Greenwood which led to the equalizer.

Although Manchester United are third on the evening of Matchday 37, this draw is clearly a bad deal compared to what a big win could have offered, against the 4th worst defense in the Premier League.

Three or four goals away this Wednesday would have indeed allowed the Mancuniens to go to Leicester with the possibility of conceding a small defeat, while remaining in the end in the first four.

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer is nevertheless satisfied with the result. "We're moving up to third place, and we couldn't have gone any higher, even with a win, or a big score. I didn't think about the possibility of scoring a lot of goals and having a big win" , he assured.

The teammates of Paul Pogba - who was still very inconstant, and responsible for the penalty conceded -, must in no way lose to Leicester, current 5th in the standings, but who is only one point behind.

Sunday's game in Leicester will clearly be the most important of the season, even of the era of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who must quickly find answers to this drop in speed to avoid a second season without the Champions League ... unless win the Europa League in August.

Full results of Matchday 37:

Saturday

Norwich City - Burnley 0 - 2

Sunday

Bournemouth - Southampton 0 - 2

Tottenham - Leicester 3 - 0

Monday

Brighton - Newcastle 0 - 0

Sheffield United - Everton 0 - 1

Wolverhampton - Crystal Palace 2 - 0

Tuesday

Watford - Manchester City 0 - 4

Aston Villa - Arsenal 1 - 0

Wednesday

Manchester United - West Ham 1 - 1

Liverpool - Chelsea 5 - 3

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