A title race may never be over until it is mathematically decided, but Chelsea can certainly head into the final game of the season knowing they have done all of the hard work.
Carlo Ancelotti's side have faced the toughest test of their run-in and emerged as convincing winners.
The question, in reality, was never likely to be whether Liverpool had the right attitude to beat Chelsea, but whether they had the right attributes.
In the end, they offered as bad a performance as they have produced this season.
That should not detract from the fact that Chelsea played extremely well at Anfield, inspired by the two players who have added to their squad most this season, Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou. Both excelled on Sunday. Malouda has had an excellent season and Kalou has had a great four or five weeks as the campaign reaches its climax.
There was a stage when neither looked like they would be a Premier League player, when you assumed both would be shipped out, judged to be of insufficient quality. Malouda, though, has blossomed this year, and Kalou's recent contribution towards Chelsea's title push has been hugely important.
Manchester United had a similar situation at the start of their run of three league championships in as many years with Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic.
They struggled to impose themselves on the side when they arrived, but with time they have developed into great players. Both were awesome at Sunderland, as Sir Alex Ferguson's team secured the win which takes the title race to the final weekend.
Whatever happens next week, the differences between Chelsea and Manchester United are not vast by any means. While it has been a terrific campaign in terms of the interest and intrigue across the league, it has not been a great one for quality, as has been proved in the performance of the English teams in the Champions League.
United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been a lot easier to beat this season than in previous years, as their defeat tallies show. It is among Europe's elite that such a weakness is truly exposed, though. If you are easy to beat in the Champions League, then you will get beaten.
That is why, regardless of whether Chelsea maintain their lead on Sunday to win the title or United manage to overhaul them, both need a considerable revamp in the summer.
Chelsea will no doubt look to strengthen their midfield, but it is their squad that has been weakened most noticeably over the years.
Under Jose Mourinho, it was always said that Chelsea's second string would finish in the top six in the Premier League, but that is simply not the case any more. They require four or five players to return them to that sort of level. Winning titles and, particularly, winning the Champions League is not about 11 players, it is about 20, and there is no question both sides need new personnel if they are to continue to be successful.
At least Ancelotti and Ferguson will only have to look to buy a handful of players this summer. Liverpool, on the other hand, may need to go into double figures before they have a squad worthy of returning them to where everyone at the club feels they deserve to be.
The worry now that their exclusion from next season's Champions League has been confirmed is whether they will be able to attract the right players to help rebuild the club.
Liverpool's supporters are the best in the world, but players do not join clubs because of the fans. They come first for money, and then for what is on offer. Without the lure of the world's biggest club competition, Liverpool simply cannot compete.
The only solace is that Liverpool are still Liverpool; they still have the history and tradition to attract players. That will only last so long, though. Should they go three or four seasons without Champions League football, even that lustre will fade.
That is why this is the most crucial period in the club's history. At the end of last season, it would have seemed impossible that they would be in the position they are now. That is the nature of football, though. It is easy to fall from grace, but extremely difficult to rise to prominence again.
Carlo Ancelotti's side have faced the toughest test of their run-in and emerged as convincing winners.
The question, in reality, was never likely to be whether Liverpool had the right attitude to beat Chelsea, but whether they had the right attributes.
In the end, they offered as bad a performance as they have produced this season.
That should not detract from the fact that Chelsea played extremely well at Anfield, inspired by the two players who have added to their squad most this season, Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou. Both excelled on Sunday. Malouda has had an excellent season and Kalou has had a great four or five weeks as the campaign reaches its climax.
There was a stage when neither looked like they would be a Premier League player, when you assumed both would be shipped out, judged to be of insufficient quality. Malouda, though, has blossomed this year, and Kalou's recent contribution towards Chelsea's title push has been hugely important.
Manchester United had a similar situation at the start of their run of three league championships in as many years with Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic.
They struggled to impose themselves on the side when they arrived, but with time they have developed into great players. Both were awesome at Sunderland, as Sir Alex Ferguson's team secured the win which takes the title race to the final weekend.
Whatever happens next week, the differences between Chelsea and Manchester United are not vast by any means. While it has been a terrific campaign in terms of the interest and intrigue across the league, it has not been a great one for quality, as has been proved in the performance of the English teams in the Champions League.
United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been a lot easier to beat this season than in previous years, as their defeat tallies show. It is among Europe's elite that such a weakness is truly exposed, though. If you are easy to beat in the Champions League, then you will get beaten.
That is why, regardless of whether Chelsea maintain their lead on Sunday to win the title or United manage to overhaul them, both need a considerable revamp in the summer.
Chelsea will no doubt look to strengthen their midfield, but it is their squad that has been weakened most noticeably over the years.
Under Jose Mourinho, it was always said that Chelsea's second string would finish in the top six in the Premier League, but that is simply not the case any more. They require four or five players to return them to that sort of level. Winning titles and, particularly, winning the Champions League is not about 11 players, it is about 20, and there is no question both sides need new personnel if they are to continue to be successful.
At least Ancelotti and Ferguson will only have to look to buy a handful of players this summer. Liverpool, on the other hand, may need to go into double figures before they have a squad worthy of returning them to where everyone at the club feels they deserve to be.
The worry now that their exclusion from next season's Champions League has been confirmed is whether they will be able to attract the right players to help rebuild the club.
Liverpool's supporters are the best in the world, but players do not join clubs because of the fans. They come first for money, and then for what is on offer. Without the lure of the world's biggest club competition, Liverpool simply cannot compete.
The only solace is that Liverpool are still Liverpool; they still have the history and tradition to attract players. That will only last so long, though. Should they go three or four seasons without Champions League football, even that lustre will fade.
That is why this is the most crucial period in the club's history. At the end of last season, it would have seemed impossible that they would be in the position they are now. That is the nature of football, though. It is easy to fall from grace, but extremely difficult to rise to prominence again.
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