An evening to recollect for the house supporters, one to neglect for individuals who traveled from London. On Wednesday night, at Anfield, Liverpool beat Chelsea by 4-1 to strengthen their maintain on the highest spot within the Premier League.
Diogo Jota broke the impasse after forcing his means by way of the Chelsea defence within the twenty third minute, and Conor Bradley made a sensible run to ship a advantageous end and rating his first-ever aim for Liverpool within the thirty ninth. The younger right-back then delivered an outstanding cross which Dominik Szoboszlai headed into the online within the sixty fifth, earlier than Christopher Nkunku gave a tiny little bit of hope to the guests with a superb aim of his personal within the 71st. Nevertheless, that hope quickly failed as Luis Diaz set what ultimately proved the ultimate scoreline within the 79th.
The sport
Liverpool performed like correct title contenders from the primary whistle, getting on the entrance foot immediately and placing the Chelsea defence underneath frequent bouts of stress. Not that Chelsea didn’t attempt to match the house facet in the midst of the park and take management of the movement themselves, however even once they did get ahead in numbers, it at all times appeared prone to do extra hurt than good with Liverpool notoriously lethal in moments of transition.
5 minutes have been simply up when one such state of affairs gave a chance for Bradley to whip a advantageous go for Nunez to latch onto. The Uruguayan did effectively to remain onside and use his tempo to get behind the Chelsea defence, however his first-touch lob try didn’t have sufficient velocity to beat Djordje Petrovic within the Chelsea aim.
Arguably the weakest (and but very sturdy) hyperlink in Liverpool’s play on the night, Nunez tried his luck a few instances within the interval that adopted, though he had arguably higher choices in Jota and/or Diaz. All through the course of the match, he managed to hit the woodwork 4 instances, together with a shot from the penalty spot within the first-half stoppage time.
4 – Darwin Núñez has now develop into the primary participant on document (since 2003-04) to hit the woodwork 4 instances in a single Premier League match. Carpenter. #LIVCHE https://t.co/PGOjrQOUXh
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 31, 2024
Nothing modified after Jota broke the impasse. Liverpool have been nonetheless in full management of the proceedings, maintaining the entrance line of the battle a lot nearer to Chelsea’s aim than their very own.
The second aim got here as a direct results of the fluid actions of the three Liverpool attackers. Nunez pulled out to the left as Diaz dropped deep to choose up the ball, and Jota moved inside from the fitting, drawing each Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell and centre-back Benoit Badiashile with him. Bradley made full use of the house that opened up on the fitting, and as Jota grappled together with his markers, Diaz picked the 20-year-old out and he was off, breaking into the field earlier than discovering the far backside nook with pin-point precision.
At halftime, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino tried to shake issues up. His workforce clearly wanted one thing to spur them into motion, and subsequently, Conor Gallagher, Noni Madueke and Ben Chilwell made means for Nkunku, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Malo Gusto. The adjustments nearly bore fruit 5 minutes into the second half as Gusto broke down the fitting and located Mudryk on the far publish, however the Ukrainian winger couldn’t management his shot and it went removed from the goal.
However earlier than it received a little bit bit higher for the guests, it received lots worse. A trademark Virgil van Dijk diagonal discovered Bradley on the fitting flank and the teenager received away from Badiashile to whip in a pointy cross, met within the air by Szoboszlai who beat Axel Disasi and Thiago Silva for it and located the again of the online.
It appeared at that time the sport was already over, however Chelsea lastly responded six minutes later. It was Chukwuemeka who took the ball some 40 yards out and carried it away from Liverpool’s midfield, straight in the direction of the field. He handed to Nkunku and continued his run, however the former RB Leipzig ahead turned on the spot, in some way moved away from Mac Allister and Van Dijk and fired beneath the outstretched leg of Ibrahima Konate, straight into the underside nook.
Nkunku’s aim undoubtedly restored some hope for Pochettino’s males, and the interval that adopted noticed the load of the sport swing unexpectedly within the different path. Chelsea have been out of the blue holding the ball in Liverpool’s half for longer spells and appeared way more prone to threaten the hosts than earlier than, however no actual possibilities got here their means earlier than Diaz delivered the ultimate blow.
Mac Allister handed low in the direction of Nunez, who beat Thiago Silva far too simply to get to it. Nunez then pulled out to the left once more and with Disasi indecisive and Gusto sluggish to trace again, he whipped it throughout the field. Badiashile appeared quite careless as he allowed Diaz to get in entrance of him and poke house from six yards.
Conor Bradley
This was Bradley’s 14th profession look for Liverpool, and the second recreation in a row the place he had a number of aim contributions and acquired the Man of the Match award. Simply to match, Trent Alexander-Arnold, praised extremely for his capacity to contribute upfront, has managed solely as soon as to make a number of aim contributions in consecutive video games, though his cameo from the bench marked his three hundredth look for Jurgen Klopp’s workforce.
By the way in which, Conor Bradley simply did one thing Trent Alexander-Arnold has solely managed as soon as in his profession: a number of goal-contributions in back-to-back video games.
Simply how particular would possibly this child be? pic.twitter.com/MeTvzmvGIo
— El Mans (@el_mansfield) January 31, 2024
The latest requires Klopp to maneuver Alexander-Arnold into midfield completely have picked up in gentle of Bradley’s emergence, with many believing Liverpool now have one other high quality participant for the fitting flank. Bradley has definitely proven uncommon ranges of maturity for his age, and there could be little doubt that he’s able to play on the highest degree.
Spectacular stats from Conor Bradley final night time 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/5vyQdNivtX
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 1, 2024
A lot unsuitable at Chelsea
Chelsea went to Merseyside on the again of 5 wins, one draw and one (ultimately meaningless) defeat from the final seven matches. It was a a lot wanted enhance for his or her quite maligned marketing campaign. They can not probably hope to get entangled within the title race and so they’re hardly going to compete for Champions League qualification, however the remaining European competitions aren’t out of their attain – offering their type doesn’t deteriorate any additional. But when this recreation was something to go by, issues aren’t wanting good for Pochettino and his males.
Near €250 million was spent on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, gamers who have been in flip anticipated to revitalize the Blues’ midfield part upon arrival, or at the very least make an affect and make the workforce able to controlling video games even in opposition to high-quality opponents.
This duo, together with Conor Gallagher, was fully outplayed in the midst of the park by Caicedo’s former teammate Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones and Szoboszlai. It needs to be remembered that Jones is a product of the Liverpool academy, and that Mac Allister and Szoboszlai mixed price lower than both of Caicedo and Fernandez on his personal. To make issues harder, each Caicedo and Fernandez picked up yellow playing cards inside 35 minutes. However the midfield, although clearly a vital a part of the workforce that wasn’t working proper, was the least of Pochettino’s issues at Anfield.
Particular person performances within the again line have been extraordinarily poor, and that’s placing it mildly. Disasi and Badiashile appeared fully out of their depth in opposition to Liverpool’s fluent attacking trio, complemented by others in pink shirts constantly darting ahead. Thiago Silva, a veteran of many battles and a confirmed chief, merely couldn’t get them into form, or lead by instance as he himself is much from his finest as of late. Chilwell earned a reserving within the first half as effectively and appeared pissed off from that time on, and it was no shock to see him substituted at halftime.
Upfront, Pochettino deployed two former Manchester Metropolis gamers in Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer, in addition to Noni Madueke, however none of them made any affect on the sport. Madueke was barely seen, Sterling repeatedly tried and failed, and Palmer was chased far-off from Liverpool’s aim far too usually to be of any actual assist.
The trio of half-time replacements – Nkunku, Mudryk and Gusto – clearly improved the state of affairs a little bit, however there’s little or no three first rate performers can do in a recreation like this, with out the remainder of the workforce pitching in.
The one Chelsea participant who gave a very good account of himself was goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, at present standing in for the injured Robert Sanchez, regardless of conceding 4 targets.
Controversies
Liverpool followers could have groaned and moaned when Paul Tierney was appointed to take cost of this match; they, and Klopp himself, have had loads of beef with the 43-year-old up to now. However reality be instructed, Tierney managed the match completely this time, and what’s much more unusual, a number of large “50-50” choices went Liverpool’s means.
The primary second of controversy occurred within the sixth minute already, as Sterling pulled away on the left and squared it for the incoming Gallagher. The latter broke into the field at full run, managed to get the ball previous Van Dijk and went down, with the referee refusing to provide a penalty. There was particular contact there and Tierney would’ve hardly made a mistake had he pointed to the spot; there wouldn’t actually be any trigger for the VAR to intervene, both means.
Liverpool’s penalty which Nunez wasted was, nonetheless, a certainty. It was a really clumsy transfer from Badiashile, who mistimed his actions and stamped on Jota’s foot.
However the second that received Pochettino livid and even some among the many neutrals questioning the decision occurred quickly after Nkunku’s aim. The substitute ahead was within the field once more when Van Dijk caught his foot from behind. Why precisely Tierney stayed silent once more solely he is aware of, however it feels secure to imagine he believed the contact to have been quite feeble, far too feeble for the theatrical response of Nkunku.
The Aftermath
Following this defeat, Chelsea are in tenth place with 31 factors, 12 lower than Tottenham Hotspur in fourth and Aston Villa in fifth, however solely 4 lower than West Ham in sixth, and with Newcastle, Brighton and Manchester United all in between on 32.
The Blues should do no matter it takes to win their upcoming matches in opposition to Wolverhampton Wanderers at house and away to Crystal Palace, although they’ve an FA Cup replay with Aston Villa in between. In the event that they don’t, they’ll be going through downright desperation once they journey to Manchester to play Metropolis afterwards, and issues once they welcome Spurs after that. After which it’s the Carabao Cup closing in opposition to – sure, Liverpool.
Talking of Liverpool, it appears their gamers are doing no matter they’ll to see the departing supervisor off in good spirits, to provide him some extra recollections to take with him when he leaves Anfield on the finish of the season. The Reds have now gained seven of their final eight matches in all competitions, sitting on the prime of the desk with a five-point benefit over Manchester Metropolis (although the defending champions have a recreation in hand), with a spot within the Europa League spherical of 15, a spot within the fifth spherical of the FA Cup, and as has been stated, a spot at Wembley’s turf for the Carabao Cup closing.
Subsequent, nonetheless, Klopp’s workforce faces Arsenal once more, on the Emirates once more, having crushed them at that venue within the 4th spherical of the FA Cup. There’s little doubt by any means that the Gunners will likely be gunning for revenge, in addition to essential factors to assist them sustain with Liverpool and Metropolis.
Liverpool additionally play Burnley at house and Brentford away, earlier than going to Wembley.
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