Chelsea given major Champions League boost with best-case Liverpool scenario

Chelsea have been given a major boost in the race to secure UEFA Champions League qualification. The Blues will host Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon as .

Enzo Maresca's side will be determined to extend their three-game winning streak, . This season, fifth place will grant qualification to the Champions League thanks to UEFA's coefficient rules.

England confirmed their position at the top of the when Arsenal defeated Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarterfinal last month. All that was needed was one of the five Premier League teams in their respective European quarter-finals to win.

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As it stands, Chelsea are fifth in the English top flight. The west Londoners are well-positioned to clinch Champions League qualification, but .

Just seven goals separate Chelsea from Nuno Espirito Santo's side in sixth. Fortunately, when they locked horns with Brentford on Thursday night.

The Bees stormed past the Champions League hopefuls, . By snatching three crucial points from Forest, Brentford have given their west London rivals a huge boost in the race for the top five.

In February, Maresca stressed he's determined to finish in the top four. Speaking to the , the Chelsea manager said: "When you win games, you look humble, and when you don't win games, you look like you lack ambition.

"Since day one when I joined this club, my intention is to win games, to win titles, and bring this club to where it deserves to be. I'm ambitious, the club is ambitious.

"We have the same manager, same players, same owners and the same sporting directors as two months ago when we were second in the league. The only thing that changed is we are dealing with many injuries, and this has affected the level of the team a bit.

"We have said many times that we have spent almost the whole season in the top-four..."

Then, following Chelsea's dramatic win over Fulham last month, Maresca added: "It's already a good season and can become very good if we finish in the Champions League spots, no doubt."

With four games to go, Aston Villa are also only three points behind the Blues in the race for Champions League qualification. Chelsea will have to show their teeth in the coming weeks with some difficult games on the horizon.

While juggling a semi-final second leg, Maresca's side must face Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United and Forest. If the west Londoners can hold onto their 4-1 lead over Djurgårdens, they'll face either Fiorentina or Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final on May 28 too.