Sport 17-12-2001 Stamford Bridge Curse Continues For Liverpool who: Chelsea what: Crush Liverpool 4-0 as Reds` title challenge falters where: Stamford Bridge, LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "Suddenly Liverpool`s championship aspirations are in danger of unravelling like an old pullover," announces The Guardian`s David Lacey this morning after Liverpool followed a midweek draw against Fulham with a sound defeat at Chelsea. "Certainly they lost the thread here yesterday without Michael Owen." Indeed, in the absence of Owen and the departed Robbie Fowler, "the Premiership leaders were revealed as attacking lightweights," claims Glenn Moore in The Independent. "With that failing exacerbated by an unusually porous defence Liverpool were condemned to their heaviest Premiership defeat in nine years." "It was 12 years to the day that Liverpool had last won here," adds The Telegraph. "And within three minutes it seemed any hope of repeating that 5-2 victory was gone. A wonderful ball from Hasselbaink fell at the feet of the fast advancing Le Saux, and having seen his first effort pushed against a post by Jerzy Dudek, he scored with his second. It was his first Premiership goal in more than four years." Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink doubled the Blues` lead a quarter of an hour later with a delicate chip over Dudek, the Liverpool keeper. Gary McAllister began the second half by seeing his penalty saved by Carlo Cudicini, outstanding in the Chelsea goal, before Sam Dalla Bona made it three for the hosts on 71 minutes. Worse for Liverpool was still to come - Eidur Gudjohnsen "condemned the visitors to their heaviest League defeat since 1992 with a powerfully hit shot shortly before the end. Dudek had blocked the Icelander`s first strike, but there was no stopping the second," notes The Guardian. Acting Liverpool manager Phil Thompson, suffering the first truly bad result of his tenure, admitted Liverpool were outplayed. "This has been a bad week for us, and today you saw that when things go wrong, they go wrong in a big way. We`ve been on a great run. The players have been magnificent. But today went pear-shaped." [... more]

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