David Fofana, Mason Burstow and Ben Elliott were the scorers as we combined good defending with decisive attacking play to secure the win.

We should have taken the lead as Burstow was played in on goal by Harvey Vale as the young forward did not have to break stride to strike on goal, but his shot was saved.

Lucas Bergstrom was then called into action as he made a good stop from Layton Stewart.

Despite his good stop earlier, Bergstrom’s error gave Stewart the easy job of stroking the ball into the net as he was presented with a golden opening from the Chelsea goalkeeper.

On his first appearance for the Under-21s Fofana started and finished the move which levelled the scores, combining well with Burstow, Vale and Elliott to beat the keeper at his near post.

Lewis Hall arguably should have put us ahead as he burst through midfield jinking his way into the box, but Pitaluga did well to save from his eventual shot.

Burstow then scored on the stroke of half-time as he finished well from a fast counter-attack. The striker was denied a brace as his excellent finish from a Vale cross was ruled out for offside.

The second period saw us fashion the better opportunities and Dion Rankine was denied by the post as he was next to go close.

Elliott wrapped up the win deep into second-half stoppage time as he lashed a left-footed effort into the goal.

Hall and Fofana were the two changes to the starting XI as the latter was playing his first PL2 game for Chelsea since his move from Molde.

Pulsating start

The first chance of the game fell to Burstow, an almost identical one to his first in our last PL2 game against the Manchester United, but the striker failed to beat the keeper who saved well. Vale played a great pass to the young forward.

Stewart had his side’s first chance of the game after good work from Ben Doak but the striker’s shot was saved well by Bergstrom.

Stewart pounced on a Bergstrom error and gave his side the lead, doing the simple job of tapping the ball into the net after a miskick from the goalkeeper.

Scores levelled

We levelled quickly and debutant Fofana was at the centre of this move. He carried the ball well through midfield and played a good ball towards Burstow. A combination of the latter, Vale and Elliott found Fofana in the box and his first-time shot went in off the inside of the keeper’s right-hand post.

Burstow went close soon after as he managed a shot just outside the box from a Rankine lay-off, but Liverpool keeper Pitaluga was placed well to hold onto the ball.

It was a pulsating game and again we had a great chance as Hall burst through midfield and went on a tearing run which saw him fly past three Liverpool challenges, but he could not find the finish as Pitaluga saved well with his feet.

On the stroke of half-time we went ahead as after a lull in play, Burstow broke clear to finish well beyond the goalkeeper.

The striker cleared from a corner which initiated a fast break. Elliott played the ball through and Burstow did the rest, calmly slotting with his left foot to put us a goal up.

Pushing for a third

Burstow was looking sharp and a superb finish in the second-half following Vale’s cross was ruled out for offside.

The striker went close again as a he latched onto a pass from Vale but lashed his effort high and wide as our young Blues pushed for a third.

We were increasing the pressure on our opponents’ defence and the third came ever so close as Rankine raced clear of the Liverpool backline and struck an effort past Pitaluga, but his shot came back off the post. Huge chance.

Bergstrom made up for his error with a big save in the second period as Doak cut in onto his left foot and struck an effort which was heading in, but the Finnish international saved well.

We almost scored from a direct ball from Dylan Williams who found Burstow, but his attempted lob was saved well from Pitaluga, who was keeping his side within touching distance of our young Blues.

Burstow was at the centre of most things that were good for our young Blues today and he had another chance as he was played in by second-half substitute Leo Castledine, but the striker’s shot was deflected wide.

We wrapped up a fine performance with a late third and Elliott marked his call-up to the Cameroon senior team with a goal as he lashed the ball into the back of the net despite Pitaluga’s attempts to keep the ball out.

The win means we momentarily go top of the PL2 table with Manchester City still to play. This is our third win on the bounce, and it is also our eighth win in the last 10 games.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Lucas Bergstrom; Josh Brooking, Alfie Gilchrist (c), Zak Sturge (Brodi Hughes 74), Dylan Williams (Juan Castillo 80); Lewis Hall, Ben Elliott; Dion Rankine, Harvey Vale (Leo Castledine 80), Mason Burstow (Malik Mothersille 85); David Fofana.

Unused subs: Luke Campbell.

Booked: Dylan Williams 38; Zak Sturge 41

Scorers: Fofana 18; Mason Burstow 44; Ben Elliott 90+4.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Marcelo Pitaluga; Luca Stephenson, Owen Beck, Rhys Williams, Billy Koumetio, Dom Corness (c), Ben Doak, James Norris (Torrance Miles), Layton Stewart (Mateusz Musialowski 65), Bobby Clark (Mel Franodorf 65), Max Woltman (Oludare Olufunwa 88).

Unused subs: Oscar Kelly.

Booked: Owen Beck 54.

Scorers: Layton Stewart 11.