Brendan Rodgers said he had never slept better heading into the heavyweight clash against Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday. Rodgers has spent the best part of three months ducking and diving from the questions about pressure and his sides title bid. Yet, when his team entered the raucous theatre of Anfield to another stunning rendition of Youll Never Walk Alone standing across from his side was the all too familiar opponent of Chelsea. It was Chelsea that had given Liverpool their toughest test in 2005 on the way to them winning a remarkable European Cup. It was Chelsea who was the last team to defeat Liverpool in the Premier League, back in December, and now it was Chelsea standing in front of the gates that guarded the path towards the Premier League trophy. Now, that is pressure. It could not have been scripted more perfectly. A former, true heavyweight in the game, whose level amongst the elite has slipped over the past two decades, now with a clear path towards a shock championship, if only they can get past the powerhouse in blue. It was at Chelsea, of course, where Rodgers worked on his craft under Jose Mourinho and now it had come full circle, a chance for the pupil to defeat the teacher on the grandest of stages. Up until now, even against Manchester City earlier this month, Liverpool had played with a reckless abandon, punching holes in defences and predictions, while gathering more and more believers that they could do what was thought to be impossible just five months ago. Their journey had guided them closer and closer to the pinnacle. With three games left, Liverpool needed just seven points from their last nine to win it all, and with Crystal Palace and Newcastle to come, there was no more hiding from the facts, no matter what Rodgers said. Dont lose to Chelsea and the title should be yours. Despite what Jose would want you to believe, this was no minnow facing up to the Reds as Chelsea picked a team that they had paid over 100 million pounds to assemble. Inside the tight, organised system drawn-up by Mourinho, the visitors were exactly as expected. Liverpools breathless starts had catapulted them to within touching distance of glory but on this bright, sunny afternoon they werent allowed to sprint out of the box. Chelsea sat deep and allowed them to have a lot of the ball but with it the home team suddenly looked a side that carried extra weight. The weight of expectation can get very heavy on a footballers shoulder. With every pass, the Liverpool players had an extra thought. The brilliantly organized visitors closed the space and with it the punches, so ruthlessly delivered in past games by Liverpool, were missing. Raheem Sterling was Liverpools brightest player in the first half. How refreshing it is to see a young Englishman appreciate space as much as he does. Still, Liverpool probed but if Chelsea were on the ropes they were hanging out by them comfortable at taking the punishment. Branislav Ivanovic, back at Anfield after Luis Suarez took Mike Tyson style bite out of him last April, was magnificent leading Chelseas back four. Young Tomas Kalas could not have asked for a better partner to learn from on his Premier League debut. Gary Cahill and John Terry have been excellent this season but the Serbian defender reads the game superbly and, contrary to the English defenders, never loses his cool. Cesar Azpilicueta, back to his more comfortably right back slot, was excellent and both he and Ashley Cole looked like full backs who had been sent out to do a specific job, narrowing the back four and inviting Liverpool to stretch the field and take the ball where they didnt want to. It had been over seven months since Liverpool had played 45 Premier League minutes at home without scoring and as the half-time whistle grew nearer, at 0-0, tension started to creep in at Anfield. Then the creeping exploded. When Steven Gerrard received the ball in front of the Kop he made one small mistake, miscontrolling it, then a bigger one, slipping to retrieve it, and then the rope-a-dope was on as Demba Ba sprinted in alone to deliver a knockdown punch. One nil Chelsea. It was a scene from Liverpools not so distant past, one that wouldnt have been out of place last season when many a team would come in and force a maturing Liverpool into a mistake. It was those mistakes that helped Liverpool learn and progress but even they had been stunned with such a rapid climb that had brought them so tantalizingly close where suddenly those mistakes were far more costly than when the likes of Downing, Carroll and Adam were on the payroll. Such progression meant they now had to face up to something they hadnt really seen. Adversity. And it was delivered in the cruelest of manners with Gerrard, the catalyst for so much of their success this season, falling to his knees in the middle of his favourite place on earth. There was a second half still to play but Liverpool never looked the same. They had never been behind for longer than 35 minutes since their last game against Chelsea but once again that total was overtaken against the familiar foe. Suarez had a shot well saved and Joe Allens volley almost went in but Chelsea were resilient throughout, delivering a true knock-out punch just before the final bell when Willian tapped home. An under-the-weather Mourinho sprinted down the touchline again while Rodgers crossed his arms and looked on. Chelsea had done the double on Liverpool when many teams couldnt even beat them once. Liverpools fans headed to the exits heads full of emotions about the title race, knowing the title was still in reach but now out of their hands. They will feel they can get to 86pts with two remaining wins but Man City, all too familiar with winning leagues on goal difference, can now get to that mark as well and should if they can finally get over a huge hurdle for that club and win at Goodison Park next week. Chelsea, still two points behind Liverpool, are likely out of the race but, once again, showed a team what you have to become to be winners. Without Petr Cech, John Terry, Ramires, Eden Hazard, Samuel Etoo and others, they had shown the style and character it takes to succeed in the biggest of games. Liverpool are rightfully anxious to win the league because it has been over two decades since they last did so, but, equally, they should be anxious knowing that a giant powerhouse, supposedly in transition, are getting stronger by the week. This was a weaker Chelsea yet still they set the standard you must match to be champions. They will, likely, spend many more future sunny Sundays in late April wrapping up title bids rather than ripping up those of their opponents. Sleep well, Brendan. You may never have a better chance than right now. Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic . "I knew it was gone. I mean, I felt it," the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year said. "I havent felt like that in a while. I havent got extension on a ball in a pretty long time. Adidas NHL Jerseys 2020 . Nine-year veteran Danny Granger did not make his debut with the Clippers because of a technicality on the teams active list, which is signed by coach Doc Rivers before every game and relayed to the officials. Grangers name was printed by hand by a member of the public relations staff under the heading: "Updated Roster Additions," but the number on the sheet was not circled along with the other active players by the required deadline of 6:30 p. https://www.nhljerseys2020.com/. It was a day that saw England slump off a World Cup field once again battered and bruised. This time there was no red card to wonder about, no goalkeeping error or individual mistake. They were thoroughly beaten by something they have nothing of – genuine world class ability. NHL Jerseys China .A. Dickey, even though he was coming off a Cy Young Award in 2012. Many felt the Jays would regret giving up righthanded pitcher prospect Noah Syndergaard and catcher Travis DArnaud over the long haul. Buy NHL Jerseys 2020 . James Jones got his turn Sunday. And the lift he brought, combined with the expected playoff showings from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, have the Heat off and running in these playoffs.LOS ANGELES -- Jamal Crawford scored 27 points off the bench, Blake Griffin had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers pulled away in the third quarter to beat the Utah Jazz 102-87 Saturday night. The Clippers, looking to win their second straight division title, are 19-7 since Dec. 14 and 11-4 since All-Star point guard Chris Paul separated his right shoulder. They lead second-place Phoenix by 3 1/2 games in the Pacific Division following the Suns victory over Charlotte. DeAndre Jordan had 14 rebounds and 10 points during a foul-plagued 35 minutes. Enes Kanter led Utah with 23 points and 14 boards, while teammates Derrick Favors and Jeremy Evans sat out with injuries. Favors has inflammation in his right hip, and Evans has a bruised tailbone and right elbow. The Jazz lost the second game of a back-to-back set for the 10th time in 13 tries this season, one night after holding an emotional halftime tribute to Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan in Salt Lake City, complete with a banner depicting his win total in 23 years with the club and appearances by Karl Malone and John Stockton. The Clippers turned a three-point deficit into a 73-61 lead with an 18-3 run highlighted by Griffins reverse alley-oop dunk off a lob from Crawford with 2:43 left in the third quarter. The Jazz got as close as 88-79 on a pair of free throws by Gordon Hayward with 6:10 to play. Despite outshooting Utah 51.5 per cent to 41 per cent in the first half, the Clippers had to settle for a 42-all tie at the break after the lead changed hands nine times. Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers had to summon Ryan Hollins and Crawford off the bench earlier than he expected after Jordan picked up his second foul with 8:11 left in the first quarter and shooting guard J.J. Redick gott his second one just 64 seconds later.dddddddddddd. But the Clippers demonstrated again why they possess one of the deepest teams in the NBA as they shot 51.4 per cent from the field and held the Jazz to 35.8 per cent. Alec Burks, the first player off the Jazz bench, missed seven of eight shots and finished with four points. Rudy Gobert, the second player off the bench, fouled out with 8:04 remaining and finished with five points in 18 minutes. The Clippers won their eighth straight meeting with Utah, making it their longest winning streak against the Jazz since the franchises began competing against each other in 1974-75. NOTES: Jordan entered Saturday leading the NBA in rebounding average (14.0) and field goal percentage (64.9). Only one player in the previous 40 seasons has finished first in both categories: Dwight Howard in 2009-10 with Orlando (13.2 rebounds, 61.2 per cent shooting). The only player prior to that to have accomplished the feat was Wilt Chamberlain, who did it eight times between 1960-61 and 1972-73. ... The Clippers are 14-0 when shooting at least 50 per cent, and 41-3 since the start of last season. ... The Clippers are 19-0 at home when leading after three quarters and 32-3 overall in those situations. ... Griffin scored a season-high 40 points against the Jazz on Dec. 28 in a 98-90 Clippers victory at Staples Center, including 14 free throws on 17 attempts. ... Jordan, trying to join Michael Cage (1987-88) as the only Clippers to win a rebounding title, recorded his 3,000th rebound in the NBA during the regular season after a missed layup by Trey Burke in the third quarter. ... Burks averaged 18.4 points over his previous eight games -- the first four as a starter while Hayward was sidelined with a hip flexor. ' ' '