It was only fitting for the Premier League Player of the Year to secure Chelsea's first Premier League title since 2010. Eden Hazard had his penalty shot saved by Julian Speroni, but he coolly headed home the rebound, and that was enough to see off a resilient Crystal Palace side. That goal ensured Chelsea would be crowned champions of the Premier League with three games still to spare.
Now that Chelsea are champions, José Mourinho should take advantage of the last couple of games to assess his youth players. Youngsters like Izzy Brown, Nathan Ake, Andreas Christensen, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Dominic Solanke, and Jeremie Boga should be rewarded with the bulk of the playing time in the remaining games.
The match against Liverpool this Sunday afternoon means absolutely nothing to the Blues. On the other hand, Liverpool will be fighting for all three points as they attempt to catch up to Manchester United for the 4th and final UEFA Champions League qualification spot.
With their thrilling 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday, Manchester United hold a seven point advantage over Liverpool. If Brendan Rodgers wants any chance whatsoever to overtake the Red Devils, his squad must defeat Chelsea and cut the deficit to four points with two matches left to play in the season. Anything less than all three points and Liverpool will be omitted from Europe's most prestigious competition once again after making a brief cameo appearance this season.
If Chelsea trot out their youngsters on Sunday then Liverpool will certainly have the upper hand and have a golden opportunity to climb back into the top four race. However, they should not take Chelsea lightly with a "weakened" squad because the youngsters will have a lot to prove to their boss. This is their chance to prove to José Mourinho that he should consider them for the first team squad next season.
They will be hungry and motivated and if Liverpool take it easy, they will suffer the consequences.
Liverpool will stand in the customary guard of honour and applaud the newly crowned champions as they enter the pitch. Jordan Henderson, who recently signed a new long-term contract and who will succeed Steven Gerrard as the captain, has stated that standing in the guard of honour should serve as motivation to the players for next season.
Let the youth revolution at Stamford Bridge begin.