Monday’s briefing: Palmer ends goal drought as Kane wins first major trophy

Cole Palmer ended his long goalless run as Chelsea beat newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool 3-1 to boost their Champions League hopes.

Harry Kane’s wait for a major honour is over after Bayer Leverkusen’s draw with Freiburg saw Bayern Munich crowned Bundesliga winners.

Meanwhile Manchester United sealed a top-three finish and Champions League football at the expense of Women’s Super League rivals Manchester City with a 2-2 draw between the two sides at Old Trafford.

Palmer hits back

Palmer’s first goal since mid-January capped a convincing Chelsea win over a Liverpool side lacking their usual intensity after celebrating their title.

Enzo Fernandez and a Jarell Quansah own goal had Chelsea in control before Virgil van Dijk headed in a late goal for Liverpool, but Palmer had the final say from the penalty spot after Moises Caicedo was felled by Quansah, scoring his first goal in 17 games before sending out a defiant message.

“I felt normal,” Palmer told Sky Sports. “I went three months without scoring but it just gives me more motivation, more fight to do well, not just for myself but for the team. You know yourself social media is just full of idiots, trolls or whatever, I don’t pay no attention…

Kane is a champion

Harry Kane could belt out Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’ after sealing the first major honour of his career with a Bundesliga title for Bayern Munich on Sunday.

Although Bayern failed to clinch it on Saturday, drawing 3-3 at RB Leipzig, they celebrated a day later as a 2-2 draw for defending champions Bayer Leverkusen at Freiburg saw them surrender the crown.

That gave the England captain his first silverware in his second season in Germany, having joined Bayern from Tottenham in 2023 in a deal worth £86.4million plus add-ons.

It also gives Vincent Kompany the first major honour of his managerial career after the former Manchester City captain left relegated Burnley for Munich last summer as Thomas Tuchel’s replacement.

United beat City to Champions League place

Manchester United will play in the Champions League next season after coming from 2-0 down to hold rivals Manchester City to a 2-2 Women’s Super League draw, despite finishing with 10 players.

First-half goals from Laia Aleixandri and Rebecca Knaak had City in control, but Grace Clinton got United back into it before substitute Melvine Malard levelled, and they hung on for the point they needed despite a second yellow card for Aoife Mannion 21 minutes from time.

Meanwhile the London City Lionesses secured promotion to the WSL by holding off promotion rivals Birmingham in a 2-2 draw to seal the Championship title.

Solskjaer gets the better of Mourinho again

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer again got the better of Jose Mourinho as his Besiktas side beat Fenerbahce 1-0 in an Istanbul Derby between the two former Manchester United managers.

Gedson Fernandes struck a minute before half-time to settle the contest between Mourinho and the man who replaced him in the Old Trafford hot seat in 2018.

What’s on today?

Nottingham Forest need a win at Crystal Palace to reignite their bid for Champions League football next term, with a run of three defeats in four having cost them momentum at a critical stage.

Arsenal will look to seal second place in the Women’s Super League when they travel to Brighton.