Liverpool fans can't resist copying Klopp chant to take aim at Chelsea's Hayes

Liverpool fans revelled in spoiling outgoing Chelsea boss Emma Hayes' title hopes with a splendid recycling of the previous week's woes.

The Blues have endured a torturous last month having lost the Continental Cup final and being dumped out of the FA Cup and Champions League semi-finals. That meant any chance of silverware for Hayes final season at the club before leaving resided in the Women's Super League. The Blues lagged six points behind Manchester City going into Tuesday night's contest at Prenton Park, albeit with two games in hand.

Aggie Beever-Jones gave the visitors an early lead but a frenetic second-half gave way to chaos as Sophie Roman Haug drew Liverpool level before Gemma Bonner lifted the hosts to a 2-1 lead. Beever-Jones restored parity, followed by a splendid finish from Leanne Kiernan and an own-goal from Teagan Micah.

With the score level Bonner, celebrating her 150th appearance for Liverpool, rose highest and once again beat Chelsea from a corner, all but confirming that Hayes will leave Chelsea without any trophies in her final season.

And Liverpool fans, knowing the consequences of their victory, sang loudly "you lost the league at Prenton Park" as a dejected Hayes sat on the Chelsea bench.

And Hayes seemed to agree with the opposition support as she declared afterwards: "The title is done. Of course mathematically it's not done, but I think the title is done."

The use of the song was a shrewd turnaround from last week's woes for Liverpoo,l when Everton fans serenaded Jurgen Klopp with "you lost the league at Goodison Park" after his side's 2-0 capitulation.

The similarities in end-of-season collapses from Klopp and Hayes, both of whom announced their respective earlier in the season, have not been lost. While both were billed to embark on historic quadruple journeys, only Klopp has managed a trophy (the Carabao Cup) while Hayes conceded the title to Manchester City in an uncharacteristic defeatist display.

Where Klopp walked into Goodison Park with the tale of the tape on his side (he had never lost a Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park and only suffered one loss in 18 previous meetings), Chelsea knew the threat posed by Liverpool at Prenton Park having lost to the Reds 2-1 in the opening game last season, Katie Stengel's last-ditch penalty proving the difference.

The Reds have been a scintillating force this campaign under Matt Beard. Liverpool remain in the hunt for a fourth-placed finish as they sit level on points with last season's runners-up Manchester United.

United slumped to a 2-1 loss at home to the Reds in December which epitomised Liverpool's ascent and United's ostensible downfall this season. Marc Skinner's side travel to Prenton Park this weekend in a clash which could decide the outcome of a top-four finish.

While European football doesn't come with the position, it would mark the first time since the 2018/19 season that Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United comprised the top quartet.